Ends and Means
by HaruJam
Summary: Whilst teaching Harry Occlumency, Snape and Dumbledore find a memory block in Harry's mind. 'For the greater good' they destroy the block in the hopes that Harry will become more powerful and be able to defeat the Dark Lord. Do the ends justify the means?
1. Chapter 1: Summer Holidays Suck

**Ends and Means**

Hey everyone. This is my second fan fic! Yay! To be honest I have as yet no real idea what's gonna happen in this story. It's a kinda spur of the moment thing. I just had this random impulse to type something today, so I've started this story. I do have some random scenes in my head for this story but I'm still coming up with a way to link them all together in order to produce a decent story. So bear with me folks. Btw, I don't own any of the Harry Potter ideas or characters. They belong to J. K. Rowling. This takes place after OotP and HBP and DH will most likely be ignored completely. Well, happy reading and please review. Ideas are welcome too!

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**Chapter 1: Summer Holidays Suck**

Harry was furious! No, he was beyond furious. He was thoroughly pissed off! For the past four weeks of summer holidays, he had been forcefully isolated from the Wizarding world. He hadn't received a scrap of news or a letter from any of his friends simply because Dumbledore thought it 'necessary' that he remain in the dark. His friends in the Wizard world ignored even his birthday. Not one present or card had been sent and Harry had been forced to spend his sixteenth birthday with only his faithful owl as company. This period of disconnection was like slow torture to Harry.

Not content with doing nothing, Harry had thrown himself into his studies, trying to drown out his restlessness and grief with school work. He was also given numerous chores by the Dursleys, which usually left him no energy for thought. Unfortunately, the wretched anguish over the death of Sirius and Cedric continued to haunt him in his sleep. Nightmares were always waiting for Harry every time he closed his eyes. Horrible images of faceless people laughing as green light consumed a shocked Cedric or a startled Sirius was lost between the shifting folds of a black veil. As they died, they would stare at Harry who watched from the sidelines with eyes filled with accusation and betrayal.

Their voices would whisper mercilessly, _'Why didn't you save us? Why didn't you do anything? We died because of you! You killed us!' _over and over again, clearly audible despite the maddening laughter of countless dark figures.

Overcome with grief and guilt, Harry would always wake up screaming and sobbing inconsolably. He would then spend the rest of the night wide-awake, too frightened to fall asleep again. This was now a nightly ritual for Harry as the deepening black smudges under his eyes could attest to. He had also lost some weight as his sorrow made him too nauseous to eat sometimes, not that the Dursleys gave him much in the way of sustenance. In fact, the Dursleys barely gave Harry any food nowadays, 'punishment' for always interrupting their sleep with his screams.

Shoving thoughts of his painful holidays aside, Harry read through the letter in his hand for the fifth time.

_Harry, _

_I know that the past few weeks must have been hard for you. Sirius' sudden death was a blow to us all but I know you must have been devastated by it. I apologise that you were not allowed to attend his funeral but I believe it was much too dangerous, especially now that Lord Voldemort no longer has to hide his return to the Wizarding World. I sincerely hope you do not still blame yourself for Sirius' demise. It was not your fault in anyway and I know that Sirius would have been happy to die trying to protect you. _

_Onto more important matters, though I know you found it difficult I would like you to continue trying to learn the art of Occlumency. Surely you now realise the necessity of you acquiring this skill. Professor Snape has generously agreed to teach you once more and I expect you to do your best this year. _

_Time is of the essence, so you will be picked up tomorrow at exactly midnight and brought to headquarters so that you may spend the last two weeks of holidays practicing your Occlumency. These lessons will then continue once you return to Hogwarts. _

_Until we meet again, _

_Albus Dumbledore._

Letting out a primeval growl Harry tore the letter apart, throwing the shreds carelessly at the wall. Occlumency lessons with that bastard, Snape! How could Dumbledore even suggest such a thing after all that had happened the year before? As if he needed more stress at the moment. Couldn't he just be given a little reprieve to pull himself back together again? But no, 'time is of the essence'.

In order to release some of his anger, Harry lashed out at his wooden desk with his foot. This of course, only resulted in him cursing as he clutched his now throbbing foot.

"Damn it!" he cried as he collapsed onto his bed. He lay there for a while and just stared at the ceiling, silently seething.

"What am I going to do?" he sighed once he had calmed down somewhat. A soft hooting was the only answer. He turned his head and smiled over Hedwig who was perched worriedly on the edge of his window.

"Thanks girl," he whispered. "I'm glad you're with me."

She chirped in response and then buried her head in her wing. Following her example and as it was quite late already, Harry allowed himself to fall into an exhausted sleep.

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Harry awoke just before dawn and stretched sleepily, ignoring the slight pulling sensation this action caused on the skin on his back. He had no idea why his back always felt like that whenever he stretched. He had the same feeling ever since he could remember. It was as if he had a scar on his back that was being stretched but Harry had checked his back repeatedly and there weren't any visible marks. So he had just shrugged it off years ago as nothing to worry about.

Harry felt good this morning. For once he hadn't had a nightmare, though that would probably be because he had been too exhausted both physically and emotionally last night to dream or at least remember his dream. He quietly got out of bed and after chucking on a loose pair of jeans (Dudley's) and a navy sweater that was far too big for him (also Dudley's), he began his morning exercise regime. First he did some easy stretched to warm up his muscled. Then he did a hundred push-ups and sit-ups followed by a fifteen minute jog on the spot. Lastly, he warmed down by doing some more stretches and other flexibility exercises.

Harry was quite proud of his level of fitness. The first time he had attempted this exercise routine, he had collapsed after doing only fifty sit-ups, ten push-ups and a five-minute jog. Now he could do all that without even losing his breath.

Noticing that it was well past dawn now, Harry left his room. After relieving himself in the bathroom, he silently padded down to the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for his relatives. After frying several rashes of bacon and cooking the eggs, Harry set the table. By the time he was done, his Aunt and Uncle were already seated in their places with Dudley soon joining them. Harry served them, not even bothering to ask if he could have some too. Whether he got to eat or not depended on the Dursleys mood and asking them would only serve in angering them. So Harry remained quiet and left their presence once his job was done.

He went back upstairs and began to shove his stuff back into his school trunk. He wanted to be ready for when he was picked up tonight and escorted back to headquarters. The less time he had to stay here at Privet Drive, the better.

Harry spent the rest of the day reading through his textbooks. He had already finished all his assignments and homework at the start of the holidays (he had been that bored) so he had been methodically going through his subject texts for something to do. He had gotten through all of them except his Potions book, which he now had his nose buried in. It was quite interesting reading actually and he desperately wished he had some potions ingredients on hand so he could try brewing some of the more obscure concoctions. He continued studying Potions throughout the day, pausing only when his Aunt gave him a random chore to do. Soon it was dinnertime and Harry was beckoned away from his book by Aunt Petunia's demand for him to cook dinner. Ignoring his hunger (he hadn't eaten a thing today), Harry prepared an exceptional meal comprising of roast pork, potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy. As like this morning, Harry served the Dursleys then left the room not once uttering a word. When he reached the top of the landing, Harry kicked himself for forgetting to tell his relatives that he was leaving tonight. Walking swiftly back into the dining room, he cleared his throat quietly.

"What is it that you want, boy?" Uncle Vernon growled. "Come to demand some food? Insolent brat! You have to earn your food just like everyone else at this table does. You can forget about breakfast tomorrow too. Until I see you working, I'm not gonna give you a scrap."

Biting his tongue to stop himself from answering back, Harry patiently waited for his Uncle's spiel to end.

"I'm not here for dinner, sir," Harry cut in when his Uncle paused to take a breath, "I just came to inform you that I'm to be picked up tonight and I won't be returning until next holidays."

Aunt Petunia showed no signs of interest over Harry's announcement and Dudley didn't even stop his eating frenzy. Uncle Vernon's face however, turned a putrid puce colour as he weighed up the idea of wizards coming into his home against the fact that it meant getting rid of Harry for another year. Obviously the latter notion won, as his Uncle just grunted and resumed devouring his meal.

Harry exited the room once more and went to take a shower. He then dressed once more in his (or rather Dudley's) jeans and put on a black long sleeved t-shirt. After making sure he hadn't forgotten to pack anything, Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's cage down into the entrance way, ready for when he left. Realising he still had at least two hours to wait, Harry pulled out his Potions book and started reading once more. He didn't even notice the Dursleys skirting around him as he sat leaning against his cupboard; he was so absorbed by his reading. By 11:30, the Dursleys were asleep upstairs and Harry had been forced to move into the kitchen with all his stuff so he could turn on a light without awakening his relatives. At exactly midnight, Harry heard a faint pop sound from the living room. Slipping his book back into his trunk, Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and cautiously made his way towards the noise. A shadowy figure was barely visible against the dark backdrop.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Harry demanded, his wand held up defensively in front of me.

"Mr Potter, I have more important things to do than answer your stupid questions. Put that wand away and hurry up and grab your pathetic belongings so we can get out here," a deep voice snapped.

"Snape?" Harry exclaimed in bewilderment. What the hell was Snape doing picking him up.

"You will address me by my proper title, Potter, regardless that we are outside school.

"Sorry sir," Harry submitted. He led _Professor_ Snape into the kitchen, where his things and Hedwig were waiting patiently.

Snape reached into his robes and withdrew a bicycle handlebar.

"It's a portkey, Potter so stop smirking and grab it," Snape hissed.

"Sorry sir," Harry replied bemusedly. He reached and took hold of one end. A minute later, he felt a strong tug on his navel and his world soon became a tunnel of black as he felt himself being transported across space, Snape at his side.

He was just starting to feel sick when the journey ended and he landed gracelessly with a loud THUMP. His head smacked into something hard and his vision blurred and went black. The last thing he heard before the darkness consumed him was a muffled scream…

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A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! 


	2. Chapter 2: Waking, Flying and Gaping

**Ends and Means**

Hi everybody. Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, or added my story to his or her story alert or favourites list. It's an immensely satisfying feeling to receive that much attention for a story I only wrote on a spur of the moment. You guys are awesome. Thus, I have taken time out of my highly busy schedule (I'm in Yr 12 so I really am busy) to update for you. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Keep in mind though that this is only the second chapter so I'm still only really laying down the foundations for my story. Hopefully, it'll start picking up in soon. Also, sorry it's a bit short. Anyway, please read and review! I'd greatly appreciate any constructive criticisms, suggestions for improvements or even questions, so don't be shy. Cheers!

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**Chapter 2: Waking, Flying and Gaping**

Letting out a tremulous groan of pain, Harry awoke. His pounding head made the large, drab and completely unfamiliar room spin, as if he were on a sailing ship or was drunk. He rubbed his head tenderly in an effort to relieve some of the agony in his head, absent-mindedly wondering where his glasses had gone.

Suddenly, a surge of adrenalin flooded his system as the realisation that he had absolutely no idea where he was stole over him. He barely had time to take in his surroundings, not that there was really much to observe, before he heard the muffled approach of footsteps. In one quick movement, Harry grabbed his glasses and his wand, which he had found conveniently placed on the desk beside his table and rose to face the new arrivals.

Numerous thoughts swam through Harry's mind as he waited. Some were logical like 'where the hell am I?' and 'what happened?' whilst others were bordering hysterical. These types of wholly irrational thoughts consisted mostly of lines like 'Argh! I've been kidnapped!' and 'when I find Snape, I'm gonna kill him!'

Roughly shoving these useless thoughts aside, Harry braced himself as the door began to open with an ominous creak. Before he could even aim his wand and recite an incantation, Harry found himself choking on untameably bushy brown curls.

"Harry," Hermione's frantically sobbed as she continued to squeeze the life out of him.

"Let him breathe, 'Mione," Ron's cheerful voice laughed. Harry took in great gulps of air as Hermione released him.

"Bloody hell," Harry wheezed. "Geez, 'Mione are you trying to k…"

The rest of Harry's sentence was cut off by the entrance of a rather excited red headed girl who let out a tremendous squeal and latched onto his chest. Harry found himself once more fighting to obtain air. Luckily, Ron came to the rescue yet again, though whether it was for Harry's sake or because he was protective of Ginny was unknown.

"I'm so glad your okay," Hermione stated after they had settled down a bit.

"Yeah, you gave us a bit of a fright there, mate," Ron recalled, smacking him on the back affectionately.

"I don't understand what h…"

"Harry," twin falsetto voices chorused sounding remarkably reminiscent of Ginny and Hermione. For the third time that night, Harry had the oxygen squeezed painfully out of him.

"You had us soooo worried about you," one garishly high voice sang, as a disgustingly sloppy kiss was placed on his cheek.

"Don't scare us like that, you meanie," the second voice pretended to sob into his shoulder.

"WE DO NOT ACT NOR SOUND LIKE THAT!" Ginny yelled, as she pulled Gred and Forge off of Harry with Hermione's assistance. Ron was too busy rolling on the ground laughing as he watched his brothers' act.

"WE DO NOT ACT NOR SOUND LIKE THAT!" the twins shrilly imitated, putting on a mirror image of Ginny and Hermione's insulted expressions causing Ron to roar with laughter. Harry, too thought it was hilarious but refrained from laughing in order to avoid receiving the death glares that Ginny and Hermione were currently directing at the Weasley boys as well as the inevitable lecture. The jolly looks on the males faces soon became looks of contrition as both girls began ranting about the immaturity of the male population in general. Sighing quietly to himself, Harry decided to help them out by distracting Ginny and Hermione.

"Anyway," Harry began, hoping that they would go along with the topic change, "what happened?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Gred queried bewilderingly. Forge silently mouthed a thank you as both girls stopped their lecture in order to answer Harry's question.

"Well put simply, you botched your landing Harry," Ginny explained as Hermione nodded her head in agreement.

"What?" Harry replied, feeling embarrassment begin to stir in his stomach.

"It was awesome, Harry. I have never seen anyone else do such a horrible port key landing before. Even Snape seemed shocked that you had managed it," Ron chortled.

"Yeah, Harry. You have got to be the first ever person in history to fly three metres into the air and smash headfirst into the back of a random bystander's skull," the twins remarked in unison.

"Seriously?" Harry cried, disbelief and shame colouring his voice.

"Yep," Ron confirmed with a small snicker. "But don't worry, Remus, that's who you hit by the way, should recover soon."

"Oh, Merlin," was Harry's humiliated response as he sank wearily back onto the bed. He knew that he was a little bit on the clumsy side. He had never been particularly graceful but this was ridiculous! How was he ever going to live this down?

"Oh, cheer up Harry," Hermione comforted as she took in his miserable state. "It's not that big a deal."

"Whatever," Harry replied, not comforted in the slightest as he could discern Hermione's scarcely concealed grin and hear the Weasley family's loud guffaws. "Where are we by the way?"

"Headquarters of course," Ginny answered with a smile. "This is Sirius' room. That's probably why you don't recognise it as none of us were allowed in here last summer."

Pushing back the swirl of grief and guilt that briefly overtook him at the mention of his deceased Godfather's name, Harry studied the room curiously. Dark red paint coated the walls, accentuated by the muted gold curtains and rosewood furniture. The whole room was bereft of any personal touches or trinkets. Only basic rather spartan furniture was present in the room, nothing else. Seeing Harry evidently unnerved by the impersonal and austere nature of his dead Godfather's former bedroom, Hermione informed him that all Sirius' old belongings had been removed to make way for Harry's things.

That thought left Harry feeling sick. Desperate to escape the sombre room, Harry told his friends that he was hungry (he still hadn't eaten yet, after all) and they made there way down to the kitchen. Once there, Harry was once more assailed by hugs (mostly from Mrs Weasley) and bombarded with comments over his uncouth and clumsy port key landing (Mad-Eye Moody, Bill Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt were mostly responsible for these remarks). Tonks however, was sympathetic to Harry's embarrassment, as she herself was prone to blundering and clumsiness. Though Harry found the unwanted attention a major hindrance, he was relieved beyond words that Snape was not present. Harry was loathe to think of how much Snape would insult him the next time they met, which was probably going to be sooner rather than later.

Fortunately, by the time lunch was over (Harry had been unconscious for most of the morning), the residents of number twelve Grimmauld Place were finally getting over Harry's dodgy landing. Instead, conversation turned to, in Harry's opinion, more important matters, such as updating him on the happenings in the Wizarding world of late. Harry, was surprised to learn that Voldemort had as of yet, not made any open or direct attacks or movements.

"We think he's trying to regroup and gain supporters at the moment," Remus explained as he entered the room, clutching an ice pack to the back of his head. Seeing this, Harry's face immediately turned to a bright, ruby hue and he began to stutter apologies.

"Don't worry about it," Remus reassured him, waving away his pathetic apologies. "I'm fine, though I have to congratulate you on possessing such a hard cranium," he lightly chuckled as he rubbed the large bump on the back of his skull.

Thankfully, Harry's feelings of guilt and shame were partially allayed by Remus' words and he couldn't help but hug his former teacher in silent thanks.

"Oh, isn't this a pretty picture," a sour voice remarked from the kitchen doorway. Harry pulled back from Remus' embrace and turned to glare the newly arrived Potions teacher, only to stop as he caught sight of a familiar blonde standing by Snape's right shoulder.

"Malfoy?!" Harry queried, shocked. The Malfoy heir simply smirked in response as he studied the gaping boy wonder in front of him.

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A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I'll even give you a cookie! lol 


	3. Chapter 3: For Want of Sunshine

**Ends and Means**

Hey everyone. Welcome to chapter 3 of Ends and Means. Firstly, as my last chapter was a bit on the short side, this one's extra long to make up for it. I don't really have much to say at the moment. I do think it's interesting though that there are a few recurring themes and ideas between this fic and my other one (Fate). I seem to always include the sky and animals somehow in my stories. I wonder why? Ah, well. Just another mystery for me to contemplate in the dead of the night. Well, I should probably go work on my chemistry assignment. Toodles. Thanks to everyone who reviewed btw.

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**Chapter 3: For Want of Sunshine**

"I know that I'm good-looking Potter but you're going to catch flies if you stay like that."

"Shut it, Malfoy," Harry snarled, glaring at the blonde boy in front of him. "What the hell is he doing here?" he growled, directing the question to Remus.

"Calm down, Harry. I'm afraid that due to some rather unfortunate circumstances, Mr Malfoy is now staying here for his own safety," Remus replied.

"Trouble in paradise?" Harry mocked, his fists clenching. He still hadn't forgiven Malfoy for what had happened during the previous school year.

"Harry…" Remus began, warning underlying his tone but an angry Snape cut him off.

"You will take that remark back and apologise to my Godson, Potter," he growled menacingly.

Harry's heart clenched at the word 'Godson', the familiar wave of grief and guilt washing over him. Through a tight throat he muttered a faint apology, his inner turmoil distracting him so that he missed the startled looks exchanged by the people around him. Everyone had been expecting a fight to break out so the fact that Harry had so quickly backed down was worrisome. Even Malfoy looked shocked though he did his best to hide it.

"Umm, if it's okay with you guys, I think I'm gonna go lie back down," Harry murmured, not meeting anybody's eyes.

"Ah, of course, dear. You go any rest," Mrs Weasley replied uncertainly. "I'll send someone up to get you when it's dinnertime."

"Thanks Mrs Weasley," was the quiet reply as the raven head boy swiftly ducked out of the room.

"Well that didn't quite go as expected," Tonks remarked as she listened to the sounds of Harry climbing up the stairs.

"What's wrong with him?" Draco wondered aloud.

"Concerned are you, Malfoy?" Ron snapped.

"There's no fun in annoying him if he keeps backing down," Malfoy shrugged.

BAM!

Drace squealed as the force of Ron's punch threw him to the ground. He landed in an undignified heap.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Mrs Weasley bellowed, her face getting redder by the second. In the distance you could hear the loud curses from the newly awoken portrait of Sirius' mum.

_"Disgusting, snivelling fools dirtying my house with their presence…"_

"WHAT?!" Ron cried indignantly as he massaged his now bruised knuckles. "The bastard deserved it!"

_"Filthy scum! Blood traitors! You will meet a bloody end, all of you…"_

"You will not resort to physical violence no matter if the person deserved it or not! Go upstairs right now! I don't even want to look at you at the moment. We'll decide your punishment later!" she screamed.

_"I wish I were still alive so I could kill you myself. Oh what fun I would have rendering your corpses…"_

"AND SOMEONE SHUT THAT BLOODY PAINTING UP!"

"I'll take care of it," Bill volunteered; eager to get away from his pissed off mother.

"Are you all right Mr Malfoy?" Remus asked as Mr Weasley pulled his wife out of the room in an effort to comfort her.

"I want Weasley punished for that," he grumbled response as he allowed his Godfather to examine his black eye.

"I'm afraid that I can't give you any more potions, Draco, " Snape apologised as he finished his examination. "Your system is already pumped full of potions for your other injuries. If I give you any more, it may overload your body and do more harm than good."

"That' all right," Draco sighed as he stood up carefully. His leg and his arm smarted but he composed his face and ignored the pain.

"'Other injuries'?" Hermione quoted, looking concerned. "What happened, Malfoy?"

Draco blinked owlishly at her, wondering why she even cared. Confused by her actions, he responded in the only manner he knew how: by insulting her.

"What concern is it of yours, mudbl…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Malfoy," Gred threatened as Forge put a supportive arm around a hurt-looking Hermione.

"Draco," Snape interrupted, stepping in between the twins and his Godson. "You are a Slytherin amongst a group of Gryiffindors. Since we cannot rely on common sense and control from them, I expect you to mind yourself whilst you stay here for the summer. I will not be here often so you cannot rely on me. Do not make things any more difficult for yourself than they already are. Do you understand me?"

"Of course, Sev," Draco conceded. "Granger," he said as he turned to face her, "I apologise for my words," he declared, bowing slightly.

"Thank you," Hermione accepted hesitantly.

"I will make sure that Ron apologises to you for his rude behaviour too," Mrs Weasley states calmly as she entered the room.

"Thank you Ma'am," Draco replied courteously. "May I ask which room I will be staying in?"

"Of course, dear. I'll get the kids to show you and give you the grand tour of the hou…"

"MUM!" Ron called as he rushed into the room.

"I thought I told you to stay in your roo…"

"HARRY"S GONE!" Ron cried, cutting off his mother. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"What!?" Moody growled from where he had been silently sitting. He speedily rose despite the impediment of having a wooden leg and charged upstairs, followed closely by everyone else. Snape and Draco pursued them at a more dignified pace, both curious to see what trouble the Boy-Who-Lived had gotten himself into this time.

The next several moments were filled with people frantically searching various rooms and, in the case of Gred and Forge, cupboards ("What?" the twins asked when questioned. "You never know with Harry…").

When the search yielded nothing, Kingsley quickly went off to floo Dumbledore and alert him of the current situation whilst everyone else minus Snape and Draco, attempted various tracking spell with little success.

"Albus, thank goodness you're here," Mrs Weasley exclaimed when he entered the room.

"Where's Kingsley gone?" Tonks asked, failing to see the Auror.

"He's gone to the Ministry to see if he can find anything. I want you to go there as well. You know what to do and who to inform?"

Tonks nodded tersely and raced out of the room.

"No tracking spells are working?" Dumbledore questioned Moody.

"None and I've tried every spell I know."

"You're sure that he's not here?"

"We've looked everywhere, Professor," Hermione answered.

"Even downstairs and outside?"

"He's not there, Professor. I've already checked," Bill replied, stepping into the room.

"Hmm… this is bad. Remus, please go and contact everyone and tell them to keep an eye and ear out."

As Remus left, Dumbledore called out to his familiar. In a burst of fire that made everyone unconsciously take a step back, Fawkes appeared.

"Fawkes, see if you can locate Harry. He may be injured so it is essential that he is found," Dumbledore told the phoenix. After a slightly confused trill, Fawkes took off but to the surprise of everyone, he didn't disappear in a burst of flame like usual. Instead, he simply started flying up the stairs towards the attic.

"But I checked the attic," Ginny remarked bewilderedly as they all followed the phoenix into the small, stuffy attic. Fawkes then led them to a small window, which he easily flew through before he fluttered into the air and stared at the people following him as if waiting for them to follow.

"Fawkes, why did you take us here?" Dumbledore frowned, puzzlement marking his features. "Where is Harry?"

Fawkes let out an exasperated note before landing on a small but sturdy ledge next to the window. He then proceeded to jump from the ledge to another one above it then to yet another above that and so on until he finally landed on the roof.

"Are you telling us that Harry's climbed up onto the roof?!" Hermione asked, aghast. "That's so dangerous! We're five storeys up!"

Even Draco had to admire Harry's boldness. After all, from what he could see the ledges Harry must have used to get up there were barely big enough to fit a foot and if he fell then there was no way he'd survive.

"Gryffindor recklessness and daring," Snape sneered behind him.

Dumbledore frowned at the comment but made no other response as he told Fawkes to get Harry to come down. Much to his surprise however, Fawkes shook his head before flying off.

"Alastor, please go and inform everyone that Harry has been found and is safe" Dumbledore sighed.

"Right," Moody replied gruffly, his wooden leg making loud noises as he left the room.

"Okay, who here is able to squeeze through this window and is willing to go get Harry?" Dumbledore asked the room in general.

"Why can't we just use broomsticks and fly up to the roof or better yet just blast a whole through the room and repair it later?" Ron queried.

"The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black is a very ancient and powerful wizarding home, Mr Weasley," Dumbledore explained. "Thus, it is not possible to simply blast a hole through the roof. Nor can we use broomsticks to get to young Harry either, as there is a repelling charm in the wards that will fling away an airborne broom within a certain radius. Which leads me back to my original question, who can and is willing to go get Harry?"

Everyone turned and regarded each other. It was obvious that every male in the room was either too big or had too wide shoulders to fit through the narrow window. Of the females, Mrs Weasley was out, which left Hermione and Ginny. Both girls blushed as the males carefully looked them over in order to ascertain who was most likely to fit through the window.

After a tense minute of embarrassed silence, Gred finally managed to work up the courage to say what everyone else had been thinking.

"Your chest is too big, Hermione," he muttered, both of them turning bright red as the words left his mouth. "Not that that's a bad thing or something…" he continued looking incredibly flustered. Luckily, his twin was smart enough to clap a hand over his mouth before he made the situation worse.

"Thank you for insinuating that I'm not well endowed, Gred," Ginny remarked waspishly, effectively drawing the attention away from Hermione whom shot her a look of gratitude.

"No, Ginny I didn't mean it like that!" Gred gasped out, horrified.

"Yes, you're fine just the way you are, love," Mrs Weasley reassured her.

"Whatever," Ginny mumbled, privately grinning as her family guiltily rushed to reassure her.

Apart from Hermione, only Snape and Draco were aware that she was pulling an act. They both paused and considered the youngest Weasley in a whole new light, wondering at the slyness she displayed.

After a while though, Ginny began to lose her temper, as the compliments she received became more and more stupid.

"Oh, just shut up already!" she snarled after a particularly interesting comparison Forge made between her bum and the texture of the Giant Squid's tentacles.

Ignoring, the warnings emanating from her parents, she squeezed through the tiny window, silently cheering when she found her breasts _were_ big enough to cause her some difficulty. Once outside, she marvelled at how Harry had managed to squeeze through the small opening. Granted, he was small for his age but he was still a bloke and a year older than she was. Shrugging it off as something to think about afterwards, Ginny clambered carefully up to the roof, using the ledges as footholds. Despite how difficult the climb was, the sight that met her eyes was definitely worth it.

Harry was lying on his back with his arms cushioning his head. His eyes were closed the sunlight brought out the deep red shades in his hair. Fawkes was standing by his head, cheerfully using his beak to clean his hair. The fiery plumage of the phoenix reflected gold and red lights onto Harry's face, forming complex and beautiful patterns. He looked so calm and relaxed that Ginny paused, feeling as if she was intruding on something.

"Did you want something, Ginny?" Harry asked quietly, causing Ginny to jump.

"Sorry," she muttered, startled. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep," came his reply. "So, what are you doing up here?"

"Everyone freaked out when Ron said he couldn't find you in the house. Dumbledore came and Fawkes showed us that you were up here. I'm the only one who could fit through the window so they told me to come up here and get you."

"I'll come down in a minute or two," he sighed, his gaze shifting away from her and onto the sky above him. "I wish I could do that," he whispered enviously as his eyes focused on something above him.

Curious to see what he was looking at, Ginny tilted her head back and looked up. The sky was completely cloudless. It was simply an expanse of blue stretching endlessly onwards. Spotting movement, Ginny's eyes followed the course of a distant bird flying carelessly through the air.

"One day, I'd like to be able to do that," Harry stated, wistfully. "Just leave everything behind me and fly off without a care in the world."

Before Ginny could reply, he stood up not even seeming to notice that he was standing on the sloping roof of a five-storey building.

"Well, better not keep them waiting any longer. I wonder what kind of lecture I'll get this time?" he queried wryly.

He walked over to Ginny before motioning that she should descend first. After a few nerve-wrecking minutes (it's harder climbing down than up), Ginny safely entered the attic once more. She was instantly bombarded with questions and hugs. Fortunately this stopped the instant Harry shimmied through the window.

"Do you know how worried everyone was Harry?" Dumbledore began after making sure he wasn't physically injured.

"I told everyone I was going to go lie down," Harry retorted defensively.

"Yes but we didn't consider that you'd be foolish enough to go onto the roof," Mrs Weasley cut in. "You could have gotten hurt, Harry!"

"But I didn't," Harry pointed out.

"That's not the point. Harry, we are trying our best to keep you safe. All I ask is that you cooperate and don't make our job any more difficult by putting yourself into avoidable risky situations," Dumbledore requested.

"So I'm just your 'job', am I?" Harry snapped.

"Harry! Don't take that tone with the Headmaster," Mr Weasley scolded. "Of course you're not just our 'job'. We genuinely have your best interests at heart."

"That's not what it seems like to me. I can't see how me wanting to relax on the roof is something I should be scolded for."

"Can't you see we were just worried about you?" Hermione pleaded.

"Yeah, mate," Ron agreed.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Harry growled.

"Evidently not, Potter. How many times now is it that you've had to be rescued by someone else?" Snape interrogated with a nasty smile on his thin lips.

Harry glared darkly at the Potions Master but held his tongue.

"Well, I can see that today's entertainment is over. Come Draco, I shall show you to your room. I will return at 8 tonight," Snape declared with a nod to Dumbledore before he led Draco out of the room. The others also began to disperse too, leaving Dumbledore alone with the irate Harry.

"Your occlumency lessons will be beginning again tonight at 8pm. Professor Snape will be working with you every night until you master it. If you have not mastered it by the time school begins, you will continue once more under the guise of taking remedial potions class."

"Understood," Harry stated succinctly as he began to leave the room.

"Harry, why did you go up to the roof?" Dumbledore asked curiously, his question causing Harry to pause. "If you wanted to be alone, there were a myriad of little used rooms you could have gone to so why the roof?"

"I've spent the past four weeks at the Dursely's shut up in my room. All I wanted was some sunshine," he bitterly responded, resuming his stride. The door banged shut behind him as he left.

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore whispered.

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A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! Or the phoenix gets it… lol. 


	4. Chapter 4: Realisations

**Ends and Means**

Hi everyone! First I'd like to thank everyone who's watching this story, has favourited this story or has sent in a review. Cheers guys! The story should be picking up a bit more now that the majority of the foundations have been layed for the plot. I still don't technically have a plan for this story though so bear with me. Whatever I write in this story will be a surprise for me as well as you. Well, I'm keeping this message short 'cause I have QCS tomorrow and I'm recovering from an illness. Wish me luck!

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**Chapter 4: Realisations**

Time crawled by slowly for most of the occupants of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Ron even swore at one stage that it had stopped altogether though he withdrew this statement when Hermione kindly pointed out to him that the magical battery in his watch had run out. After the excitement of this morning, the goings on in Grimmauld place seemed tediously dull to the current residents, majority of who were restless teenagers.

For one person however, time seemed to be flying far too quickly. Harry was dreading the upcoming Occlumency lessons with Snape. Merlin knows what kind of insults the greasy git would throw at him tonight after the fiasco this morning.

"Geez, all I did was climb onto the roof," Harry thought as he fiddled with the page of Quidditch through the Ages he was attempting to read. "Wonder what they'd do if they found that bottle of fire whisky in my trunk…"

"Harry, are you really just gonna stay in this room all day? It's so stuffy in here," Hermione's worried voice pronounced, breaking his reverie.

"Wha? Oh, it's you 'Mione," he mumbled, shaking his head in order to clear it a little. "I don't really feel like coming down at the moment."

"If this is about what happened this morning, don't worry about it. Actually I think most of us can relate. I mean we have spent the past so many weeks cooped up in this dreary place. I wouldn't mind a bit of sunshine myself…"

Harry effortlessly tuned out her rambling. He had always been good at blocking people's voices out. It was a survival mechanism he had come to develop over years with the Dursleys. Without it, he was certain that he would truly believe himself to be the disgustingly abhorrent freak that his relatives took great pleasure in informing him he was. It was a skill that had also saved him from dying of boredom whenever a teacher lectured him or he had a History of Magic lesson with Professor Binns.

"… Ron hasn't and he keeps using the excuse that you probably haven't finished either. You have finished all your summer homework right?"

"Of course, 'Mione," Harry nodded.

"Good because I wanted to check something in the Charms report with…"

Harry grinned inwardly to himself as he once mare tuned out her voice. Ever since he had obtained the ability to tune out of a conversation, he had developed an instinct for knowing exactly when he had to tune back in and reply to the person he'd tuned out. It was a sense of intuition that had saved him from trouble numerous times. No one could accuse him of not paying attention if he responded to questions or prompts correctly.

Seeing as Hermione looked as if she was going to continue talking for a while, Harry let his mind drift back to what was going to take place that night.

Truth be told, he was absolutely terrified of having to do Occlumency lessons again. It had been a horrible experience last year, especially because Snape was the one shifting through his mind. Now though, he had all these new nightmares and memories Snape could gain access to during the lessons, which included stuff that Harry wanted no one to know about; memories of Sirius, of Cho, of all that had happened at the Department of Mysteries. He didn't want anyone to see them, not even himself. Furthermore, the thought of having to relive such memories made Harry's blood run cold.

"DINNER!" came a yell from downstairs.

With his mind still filled with worrisome thoughts, Harry followed Hermione down stairs towards the kitchen.

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"Okay Potter, you know the drill. Hopefully your abysmal Occlumency skills have improved since our last lesson…SILENCE!" Snape yelled as he glared fiercely at the now silent Ron and Hermione. 

"Well don't insult Harry then," Ron returned, matching his glare.

"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, I have graciously allowed you to remain here for Potter's lesson at your own personal request. I will not tolerate your presence if you interrupt me or behave rudely."

"Yeah, Weasley. Shut up. I want to see this. Potter, don't mind them. Be as pathetic as Sev says you usually are," Draco encouraged from the sidelines.

"You're a prat, Malfoy," Ron growled.

"Ignore him, Harry," Hermione sent from her seat next to Ron.

Harry just rubbed his eyes tiredly and tuned everything out. He couldn't believe Snape had let his friends come and watch this. It was humiliating enough without spectators. They had used the excuse that they wanted to support him and that watching Harry being taught Occlumency would be an educational experience. Malfoy, of course, had chimed in that if they got to watch so did he. Snape, unwilling to say no to his Godson, had agreed to their request. No one had even considered asking Harry if he was all right with this arrangement but he was used to such treatment by now. Enough people in his life had made decisions on his behalf for his 'own good' so he was used to such behaviour. He didn't like it but that was life or at least Harry's life.

"… So be quiet! Potter, we're beginning."

"Right, sir," Harry replied, readying himself as best he could. He still hadn't worked out how on earth you were supposed to 'clear your mind'

"Legilimens!"

_He was eleven, choking on the golden snitch… Dobby the house elf was levitating a cake above the heads of an elderly couple… a distant bird was soaring through the air… a flash of green light… Sirius was falling behind a whispering veil…_

"NOOO!"

Suddenly harry found himself on his knees in the living room of Grimmauld Place, his chest heaving.

"Oh, Harry!" he distantly heard Hermione call accompanied by the sound of a chair being hastily moved.

"You agreed not to interfere, Granger!" Snape reminded her menacingly.

"I didn't know it would be like this…" she sobbed but she retreated back to her chair.

"Blimey," Ron whispered, shock evident on his face. "I never thought that this is what these lessons were like."

Ignoring the conversation around him, Harry shakily stood. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Draco watching him with an odd look on his face but he ignored that too, instead focusing his attention onto Snape.

"You let me get too far again, Snape commented dryly. "The point of Occlumency is that you stop me from entering your mind at the start not just when the person casting Legilimens on you sees something you consider too private. Legilimens!"

_He was six years old watching a spider spinning a web inside his cupboard… Hermione was stirring a potion inside a bathroom cubicle… a werewolf was howling, the full moon casting a silver sheen to its grey fur… hundreds of envelopes featuring the Hogwarts crest were swirling around the Dursley's living room… Cedric Diggory was looking at him with sightless eyes…_

"ARGH!" Harry screamed his throat raw, the cold stone of the floor once more digging into his knees. His hands shook as he massaged his temples in an effort to relieve himself of his pounding headache.

"What's going on? We heard yelling," Remus asked as he and Mr Weasley burst into the room.

"It's just Potter trying and failing to repel my attack," Snape answered nonchalantly.

"Severus…" Remus began with growl.

"Fine," Snape dismissed. "Potter we will try once more tonight. Hopefully you will actually manage to achieve _something_ before you retire. Legilimens!"

_Cho Chang was dancing with Cedric Diggory… his parents' ghosts were telling him to run… Bellatrix was telling him how he had to 'mean it' when performing an Unforgivable…a furry textbook was snapping at his ankles… Dudley's fist was slamming repeatedly into his stomach, causing him to cough up blood… he was four, gazing confusedly at a feather soaked in bl…_

The sounds of screaming forced Harry back to reality. To his surprise he was still standing and his headache had vanished.

"Sev? Sev?!" Draco's frantic words caught Harry's attention. Turning to see what had happened, Harry found Ron, Hermione, Remus, Malfoy and Mr Weasley crowding around a prone figure on the floor. Making his way over swiftly, Harry caught a glimpse of a pasty skinned Snape lying unconscious on the stone floor. His hair was matted with blood and his hand was twisted at an awkward angle.

"I'm getting Poppy," Remus abruptly declared. "Don't move him," he ordered, racing out of the room to fire call her.

"What happened?" he interrogated Mr Weasley, who was nearest to him.

"We don't know. You were both caught up in the spell when suddenly Snape went flying and hit the wall. From the looks of it, he's hit his head pretty hard and his wrist is broken…"

"This all your fault, Potter!" Malfoy burst out from his position beside Snape.

"Now Draco…" Mr Weasley began as Hermoine and Ron started to open their mouths.

"But it was!" Draco protested before Mr Weasley could continue. "Didn't you see it? Just before Sev was thrown back, Potter's eyes went weird!"

"What do you mean weird?" Hermione asked, her curiosity overcoming her anger at Malfoy. "Harry's eyes were closed the entire time!" Ron commented loudly.

"No, they weren't! They snapped open just before Sev was knocked back."

"Alright," Mr Weasely accepted. "But what did you mean by weird?"

"When he they snapped open, he didn't have any pupils," Draco replied, his response shocking everyone in the room.

"That's impossible!" Ron cried. "Who would ever believe such a thing?"

"But it's true!"

"Sure it is Malfoy…"

"Stop squabbling, you two!" Harry snapped, breaking his silence. All their yelling had caused his head to start throbbing again. It didn't help that all the derisive comments the Dursleys and his Hogwarts peers had made about his eyes were resurfacing in his memory. _"Freak eyes… unnatural to have eyes that green… the exact same shade as the Avada Kedavra…"_

Harry banished those memories with practised ease, forcing himself to focus on the issue at hand.

"Are you certain it happened, Malfoy?" Harry directed at him.

"Positive."

"Can anyone think of why or how I did that?" he asked the room in general, hoping that someone would miraculously think up an answer.

"Well, can I ask what the last memory you saw was?" Hermione queried.

"Um…" Harry stalled whilst racking his brains. "I think it was something along the lines of me when I was really young, probably three or four, looking at this feather soaked in blood…"

"…Right," Ron muttered before Hermione shushed him though she too was looking at Harry oddly.

"Can you recall anything else? Where you got the feather? Why it coated in blood? Anything at all?"

"Sorry, 'Mione but I really can't remember anything else," Harry admitted, feeling useless.

The arrival of Madam Pomfrey, Remus and Dumbledore signalled the end of their conversation as they were quickly herded out of the room so Snape could be treated.

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At ten o'clock that night, everyone involved was gathered at the kitchen table for a quick meeting. 

"The reason you are all here," Dumbledore began, eying Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco, "is because I want to hear what each of you saw tonight. Arthur has already told me what he knows but I'd like to see if any of you piked up anything different. Mr Weasley, will you begin please?"

"Snape cast Legilimens on Harry. They both stood there for a bit, Harry with his eyes shut, then all of a sudden Snape went flying and hit the wall," he stated.

"I saw the same as Ron did," Hermione announced.

"I saw Potter's eyes snap open just before he sent Sev flying. I'm pretty certain that his eyes were completely green when they opened. He had no pupils at all," Draco declared. "How's Sev, by the way?"

"Severus is fine. His injuries were not severe. He has been confined to bed for the remainder of the night as well as tomorrow. You may visit him once this meeting is over," Dumbledore replied. "Harry, your turn."

"Well, I don't really know what happened myself," Harry shrugged.

"I told him what the last memory you saw was," Mr Weasley informed him. "Is there anything you can add to that?"

"Any information at all will be useful, Harry. Even if it seems trivial," Remus pressed as Harry shook his head.

"He won't be able to tell you anything else, Lupin. That's the whole point."

Startled, Harry whipped around and found that Snape was leaning against the doorway. To Harry's discomfort, Snape was staring at him with a shrew look in his eyes, as if there was he thought Harry to be a particularly confusing puzzle

"Severus, Poppy forbade you to leave the bed. You need to rest and recover," Dumbledore frowned.

"Poppy is not my mother…"

"What you said earlier, what did you mean by it?" Remus questioned.

"It seems that Potter here is better at Occlumency than we all thought but only subconsciously. He has no idea how to do anything consciously, a fact that his poor performance in my lessons can attest to."

"What do you mean?" Remus repeated, furrowing his brow.

"He has a huge memory block in his mind."

"What?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Are you certain, Severus? Dumbledore queried, his eyebrows rising into his hair.

"Yes, Headmaster. It's the reason I got thrown back as I did. I'd gone too deep into his mind, too close to the mind block. It repelled me."

"Describe it."

"It's looks like a large wall of black marble. Forbidding and very strong but there were a few cracks here and there."

"How old do you think it is?"

"More than a decade, I think. It's difficult to tell from only one glance."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore practically sang, his face breaking into a huge grin.

"I'm sorry but how is me having a memory block 'excellent'?" Harry growled, not liking the way his Headmaster was looking at him.

"Well to be perfectly honest with you Harry, apart from your little adventures and a few of your quirks and talents, you haven't lived up to the standards we've come to expect from the Boy-Who-Lived. In all your subjects, bar Defence Against the Dark Arts of course, you are only an average student and you have yet to really show any true power…" Dumbledore paused momentarily, hoping that Harry had gotten the reference to the prophecy and that he was supposed to have a power that Voldemort doesn't. "I have an inkling that this memory block may be the key to unlocking your true abilities," he finished with a twinkle in his eye.

To say that Harry was astonished by Dumbledore's words was an understatement. Looking around him, he came to the realisation that nobody was going to contradict what Dumbledore had said. Nobody was going to tell him that he was fine just as he was or that it didn't matter if he didn't live up to other people's standards. Nobody was going to defend or support him and with this realisation, Harry's heart broke.

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A/N: I feel kinda bad for Harry. I'm afraid things are only going to get worse... -_sighs_- 

Please remember to review! I appreciate any feedback!


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmares

**Ends and Means**

Hey everyone. First I'd like to thank everyone who's favourited, reviewed or has added this story to their story alert. Wow, there are a lot of you. beams It was interesting reading all your reviews. Lol. Some of your requests were amusing.

I don't want to tell you much about what's gonna happen in the story cos that would obviously ruin the plot (plus I haven't really thought that far ahead) but I just want to say that none of you really hit the mark. Harry is going to think for himself but it will not be along the lines of (in TFG's words) "as his thoughts cleared he finally realised just how badly he had been used and decided to never allow anyone to use him ever again, bam wow goblins give him all the bank details and he is as rich as kerry packer!".

To be frank, I think my Harry already thinks for himself but he's gotten used to other people controlling his life. It is the norm for him after all. I'm not saying that he's gonna take any crap though. Harry will develop as a person, at least that's the plan. In regards to requests of him getting revenge or turning dark or things like that, it's probably not going to happen or at least not to a strong degree. What I have in mind is a lot sadder. This is a drama fic after all. .

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll update when I can. I'm now on holidays! Yay! Remember to review!

**This chapter is dedicated to my cat, Divot who was sadly put down on Tuesday 18/09/07.**

**Rest in peace, mate. xoxo**

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**Chapter 5: Nightmares and Night Time Meetings**

_Harry collapsed, utterly exhausted as Voldemort approached him with several Death Eaters behind him. He couldn't see out of one eye and his body was aching from the various wounds and bruises, which littered his abused body. He tried to breathe deeply in an effort to calm his frantic heartbeat but he just ended up choking on the ash-filled air._

_"You really are a weak fool, aren't you Potter? Not even competent enough to save your Godfather or the Diggory boy," Voldemort smirked. This said, he clicked his fingers twice. At the command, Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius removed their masks and after flashing a diabolical grin at the defeated Boy-Who-Lived, threw down the dead bodies of Cedric and Sirius at Harry's feet._

_Tears ran unstopped down Harry's face as he stared into their unseeing eyes. As Voldemort and his Death Eaters began to laugh at his pain, Harry desperately looked around him for someone to help him. His eyes found the forms of Hermione, Ron, Remus, Dumbledore and Mr Weasely who were standing a short distance away, looking on impassively._

_"Help me," Harry begged as he looked at them imploringly._

_"Why should we?" Hermione asked curiously._

_"Yeah, you're the weapon, not any of us. You're the one who has to fight him," Ron explained, shrugging his shoulders uncaringly._

_"He's right there, Harry," Mr Weasely chipped in._

_"But, but…" Harry stuttered, unable to believe his ears._

_"But what?" Remus queried, apathetically. "Like Ron said, you're the weapon. It's not our job to beat Voldemort."_

_"We should probably leave you to it, my boy," Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Be a good weapon now and finish the job properly this time. We don't want you to fail again and have him return once more, do we?"_

_With that said, they turned their backs and walked out of sight. Harry's heart clenched painfully as he took in their betrayal._

_"What? Don't tell me you thought they actually cared about you, Potter?" Voldemort chided. "Who could ever love a freak like you?"_

_To Harry's horror, as Voldemort said this, his face began to morph into that of Uncle Vernon's._

_The bodies of Sirius, Cedric and the Death Eaters faded away as Harry was left alone to confront his Uncle who wore a murderous look upon his purpling face._

_"Did you really think anyone could love such an abnormal creature like you?" Vernon demanded. "Don't kid yourself, Boy. You are a blight on humanity. Just give it some time. Those freaks who currently tolerate your presence will wake up one day and realise that you're a freak and then they'll do the smart thing and get rid of you. Mark my words…"_

_Harry shrunk back as his Uncle continued his malicious tirade, covering his ears in an effort to block out his words. When this proved ineffectual, Harry began to scream over the top of his Uncle, hoping his cries would block out all other sound. He continued to scream, even when he could no longer hear his Uncle. He continued to scream even though his throat was going hoarse with the effort. He continued to scream, ignoring the bloodied feathers floating around him…_

Harry's eyes snapped open and he hurriedly covered his mouth with his trembling hands as he tried to stifle his screams. Eventually, his yells subsided and he found himself to be lying in Sirius' old bed at Grimmauld Place. His pyjamas were stuck to him with cold sweat and his face was streaked with tears.

"Breathe, just breathe," he mumbled to himself as he lay wide-eyed in his bed. He lay there trembling, waiting to see if anyone had been woken up by his yells and was going to check up on him. Minutes crept by with no knock on the door.

"Of course," Harry muttered, smacking his forehead. "This is Sirius' old room. There are silencing charms placed on it by his parents."

Sighing in relief, (he really couldn't bare the idea of people asking him about his nightmare, especially after what had happened the evening before), he sat up. Knowing there was no chance in hell he was going to be able to fall back asleep, he turned on his bedside lamp and reached unsteadily for his glasses. That done he climbed out of bed and after washing his face with some water and donning a dressing gown, he slipped down the stairs towards the kitchen. Quietly pushing open the kitchen door, Harry was surprised to see Malfoy already sitting at the large table, nursing what looked like a bottle of fire whisky. For some reason the sight of Malfoy was calming after the horrendous events in his dream. Maybe it was because Malfoy was a constant in his life or (more likely) the fact that he didn't exactly consider Malfoy a friend and thus didn't really feel betrayed or surprised by his rival's indifference over Dumbledore's declaration that he was a failure as the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Mind if I join you?" Harry asked politely, startling the blonde boy out of a stupor.

"What the hell are you doing up, Potter?" Malfoy queried in reply, his words slightly slurred.

Taking this as a yes, Harry sat down across from him and took a large swig out of Malfoy's bottle.

"Hey, get your own bloody drink. This is my fire whisky," Draco stated, taking the bottle out of Harry's hand and hugging it to his chest possessively.

Chuckling at his antics, Harry replied, "I would but my bottle's all the way upstairs and I really couldn't be bothered walking all that way again."

Accepting this with a slight nod, Malfoy took another sip of his bottle then slid it across the table to Harry.

"You never answered my earlier question, Potter," Malfoy began. "What are you doing up?"

"I had a bad dream," Harry answered after another gulp of fire whisky. The liquid warmed his chest and stopped the trembling in his hands.

"I hear ya," Malfoy hiccupped after another sip of the shared fire whisky. "I've had sooo many n-n-nightmares of late, I'm ccc-c-onsidering changing my occuuupational s-s-status from wizard to iiinsomniac."

"H-h-how the bloooody hellll do ya do that, ya prat?" Harry giggled, the whisky making him feel light-headed. Truth be told, Harry had only rarely drunk alcohol before and that was usually just a few sips here and there. Consequently, he hadn't built up much of a tolerance to alcohol yet. The bottle of fire whisky in his trunk had been a 'just in case you need it' present from Gred and Forge after they and Harry were banned from playing Quidditch by Umbrige last year. It was still lying unopened in his trunk but if his nightmares continued to be as intense as tonight's, he doubted it would stay in that state.

"Do whaat?" Malfoy slurred, around a mouthful of whisky.

"How da hell do ya still m-m-manage to uuuse biiiiig words even though you're pisssssed?" Harry asked, as he pinched the bottle from the tipsy blonde.

"'C-cause I'm a M-m-malfoy and M-malfoy's are aaaalways a-a-rtic…gooood at s-saying schtuff!" he cheered before his face became dark. "At l-leasht I was. Schtupid Father"

"Eh?" Harry queried intelligently. "Aaaren't ya a M-malfoy any more?"

"No, I'm not," Malfoy acknowledged, all effects of the alcohol fading away as his anger overwhelmed him. "My bastard of a Father decided that it was time I joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. He wanted me to gat initiated this summer and take my 'rightful place' amongst the Dark Lord's servants. I refused. I may not particularly like Muggles and Mudbloods but that doesn't mean I want to go around killing them for fun. Personally, I think it's barbaric and I'd rather not dedicate my life to kissing the feet of a murdering psychopath. To say my Father was displeased with my views is an understatement."

"He beat you?" Harry whispered. Like Malfoy, the alcohol he had consumed was no longer affecting him as he took in the seriousness of the conversation.

"That too is a gross understatement," Draco mused as his brow furrowed. "The thing about Malfoy Manor is that there are always lots of dark objects and weapons lying hidden throughout the house in case there is a threat to the family. My Father decided to be creative with them in order to punish me." At this point, Draco grimaced and unintentionally rubbed his arm. "I-I don't really remember much of it. All I remember is being really, really terrified and the pain! It hurt so much and the fact that it was my Father who was doing it just made me want to die. My Mother was there the whole time, just watching. I've never felt so alone in my life," Malfoy breathed, silent tears dripping unnoticed down his pale cheeks. "After what felt like years, Sev arrived. By then I was barely conscious and had lost a lot of blood. He took one look at me before pushing my parents out of the way, grabbing me and flooing back to Hogwarts. I owe him my life," Malfoy finished in barely a whisper.

Harry was shocked by the sad tale but he could empathise. After all, he'd been in that situation with his Uncle before. Though it had never escalated to the point where Harry was almost dead, Harry had some pretty horrible experiences. Unbidden the words of his Uncle from his dream rose into his mind.

_"You are a blight on humanity… abnormal creature…freak…"_

Shoving the memory forcefully from his mind, Harry leaned over the table and gripped Malfoy's, no Draco's shoulder.

"I can't say I have suffered as badly as you have but I just want you to know that you're not alone. I too have been abused to a degree," Harry admitted, a sad smile gracing his lips. "I know that it's not something you probably ever want to bring up again, heaven knows that I try to avoid the topic, but if you ever need someone to talk to or just be around, come find me."

"Thanks," Draco murmured. "Can I ask who did it to you?"

"My Uncle," Harry replied, "and he still does a bit. Mind you, he and the rest of my rellies were a bit better this time round. I didn't actually get hit or anything but they did limit the amount of food I received and gave me tons of chores."

Though he had tried to sound nonchalant, Harry's voice cracked as he finished speaking.

Sighing, Draco pulled a second bottle of fire whisky from his robe and handed it to Harry. Grabbing the original bottle, he held it up in a toast.

"To shit childhoods and even shitter relations," Draco intoned.

"Shit childhoods and even shitter relations," Harry repeated, knocking his bottle against Draco's. They both took huge sips and were soon back in the happy stupor of alcohol induced drunkenness.

Neither of them had noticed the pair of ebony eyes watching them from a shadowed corner of the room.

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A/N: Go on, review. You know you want to... 


	6. Chapter 6: For the Greater Good

**Ends and Means**

Hey. How have you all been? I'd just like to say that I was quite overwhelmed by the number of people who responded to the last chapter of Ends and Means. I hope you all keep it up. As a reward, I present this latest chapter. It's longer than all the previous ones so I hope you enjoy.

In regards to the reviews I got from the last chapter:

Firstly, I am not 12 years old. I'm 17. I don't know how that idea came into anyone's heads but it's not true. It was kinda funny though and I'm grateful for the praise I got.

Secondly, thanks to everyone who's given me sympathy for the death of my cat. I really do appreciate it and just so you know, I'm doing fine.

Thirdly, I'm kinda loath to putting up too much information about my future plans for the plot of this fic. I don't really want to alienate people by straight out saying I will or won't make this happen. Though I do find your varying opinions on certain characters and relationships quite interesting and even entertaining (keep them coming), I hope you realise that I can't colour my story to suit all of your individual tastes. This is my story, one I'm basically making up as I go. So just sit back and enjoy the ride, 'kay?

Lastly, I just want to say to Treck: you're review cracked me up. A very astute observation. Lol

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**Chapter 6: For the Greater Good**

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry jerked awake with a start as Mrs Weasley's shrill voice reached his ears, causing his ears to throb. He opened his eyes to find himself unceremoniously strewn across the kitchen table, Mrs Weasley looming threateningly over him.

"Wha' isss it?" Harry slurred, pulling himself rather sluggishly into sitting position. As he moved he heard the faint 'chink' sound of glass hitting glass.

"Ah, crap," he groaned as he realised that noise had been made by the two empty bottles of fire whisky lying against his outstretched arms.

"'Ah, crap indeed," Remus acknowledged dryly, from his seat.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, HARRY? YOU ARE FAR TOO YOUNG TO BE DRINKING LIKE THIS!" Mrs Weasley continued to yell, forcing Harry to grip his head painfully as her screaming made his headache intensify.

"What's going on?" Tonks' curious voice cut in, momentarily stopping Mrs Weasley's rant. Harry took this blessed moment of silence to lift his head and take in his surroundings. Tonks stood in the doorway with Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the twins behind her. From the looks of it, they had been woken up by the commotion and had come down immediately to investigate what had happened without bothering to change out of their pyjamas. He also noticed, rather grumpily, that Malfoy had left him here to fend for himself with the incriminating whisky.

"Damn slimy Slytherin," he grumbled quietly under his breath.

"It seems Harry here has been having a bit of a midnight drink," Remus informed Tonks, when Mrs Weasley appeared too angry to respond.

"Woah, way to go, mate!" Gred and Forge whistled in unison as they came and slapped him roughly on the back in congratulations.

"Where'd you get the fire whisky?" Ron queried as he and Ginny took the seats on either side of him.

Unfortunately, Hermione's reaction was not so light hearted.

"What were you thinking, Harry? You're underage! You should know better then to drink like this," she sniffed, angrily as Mrs Weasley nodded her head vehemently in agreement.

Harry just moaned pitifully in response. He felt as if his mind was splitting in two and his ears were still ringing from Mrs Weasley's earlier scolding.

"Aww, does the Golden Boy have a hangover?" Malfoy asked, his voice taking on that sickly sweetened tone people always used when addressing babies. Harry just glared in reply. His glare intensified as he noticed how impossibly energetic and cheerful the blonde seemed to be as he followed Professor Snape into the room. Snape must have performed a sobriety charm on him, Harry reasoned bitterly.

"Bastard," he thought, his anger escalating. "You left me here to take all the wrap after all I did and told you last night. See if I ever offer you help and comfort again."

"Harry, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mrs Weasley demanded.

Harry just shrugged in reply. He really didn't want to tell anyone the real reason for why he'd been drinking in the first place. That would just lead to questions about his dream last night and he still didn't feel comfortable enough with some of the people ('traitors', his mind supplied before he viscously squashed that thought) in the room. He also didn't dare accuse Malfoy of drinking with him. He knew that Snape would immediately provide an alibi for the ferret and probably even manage to get him into more trouble.

"Fine. Then you'll just have to help me around the house today as punishment for your actions," Mrs Weasley stated resolutely, as if daring he or anyone else to object.

Once more Harry just shrugged. It was a far easier and fairer punishment than anything the Dursleys would have come up with. At his nod of acceptance, Mrs Weasley turned and began to prepare breakfast.

"Sobrius," Remus muttered, pointing his wand at Harry. Instantly, Harry felt all the alcohol lingering in his system vanish along with all its effects. Sighing in relief as his headache disappeared, Harry stood up, ignoring everyone's stares and went to help Mrs Weasley prepare the meal.

* * *

"Harry, can you come to the kitchen for a moment please?" Remus called, as he entered Sirius' former room. Harry nodded a yes and put away the Potions textbook he had been immersed in, as he hadn't had a chance to finish reading it at the Dursley's. Quietly following Remus down stairs, Harry could easily guess why he had been called. No doubt it was about the supposed memory block in his mind that Snape had chanced upon. Steeling himself for the upcoming conversation, Harry entered the kitchen, not at all surprised to find Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Mr Weasley already seated around the room. Remus went to stand by them. 

"Ah, good morning Harry. Please have a seat. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered, pleasantly.

Declining the sweet, Harry sat down on the indicated chair and faced the adults before him, doing his best to hide his turbulent emotions behind a mask of calm.

"I'm sure you know what it is we wish to talk to you about," Dumbledore continued, as he looked Harry over critically.

"The memory block in my mind, sir."

"Yes, you are right, of course. As you probably ascertained from my words yesterday, I would like your permission to remove the block. I think it would be in your and everyone's best interests if we did so," Dumbledore stated.

Based on the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eyes, it was obvious that Dumbledore already thought that Harry would agree to the request. Hiding his blossoming anger for the old man in front of him behind an emotionless mask, Harry spoke.

"No."

"What!?" Dumbledore asked, the smile leaving his face.

"I said 'no', sir." Harry repeatedly clearly. "I don't think it would be a good idea to remove this block. Thus, I'm not going to give you my consent."

"What? Are you scared, Potter?" Snape snidely queried.

"Yes," Harry answered honestly, shocking the Potions master with his open reply. "From the way I see it, " Harry continued, figuring they were going to demand a good reason for his reluctance to remover the memory block, "I've already lived a pretty horrific life. I've seen people, strangers and loved ones alike, murdered before my eyes. I've seen and been subjected to different manners of torture, I've been betrayed and I've been hurt. I've faced death and worse multiple times. Yet through all this, I've never once had any issues recalling these events and instances. I can still recollect what happened as if it's been etched into the back of my eyes. Logically speaking then, the memory I have subconsciously blocked must have been a truly horrible and shattering moment in my life. Frankly, I think I've got enough on my plate at the moment without having to deal with any added strain."

"He's got a point," Mr Weasley admitted to Remus who concurred.

"If only you were that persuasive and articulate in your essays," McGonagall smiled at Harry, who returned it with equal warmth.

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore spoke over the mutterings around him, "I still think that you should have this block removed Harry. It is unhealthy to lock up and suppress bad emotions and memories. If you leave such a blockage in your mind, it may slowly begin to poison your thoughts as well as repress your magic. Isn't that right, Severus?"

"It is," he muttered lowly, his black eyes focused intently on the Boy-Who-Lived.

"What do you think I should do?" Harry addressed Professor McGonagall, ignoring the look of surprise on her face. Mr Weasley and Remus also looked a bit put off by his asking McGonagall for advice over them. Though it was true that Mr Weasley and Remus were close to parental figures to him, he still felt the sting of their betrayal from the previous night. The nightmare he had had was also still fresh in his mind, steering him away from seeking advice from either of them or Dumbledore. Asking Snape, of course, was completely out of the question. That left the Head of Gryfindor, whom he knew would do her best to give him a just and unbiased answer.

"I would have to agree the Headmaster, I'm afraid," she sighed after a few moments of pondering. "I once had an acquaintance who had the misfortune of witnessing a violent event, which caused a memory block to spring up similar to your own. She left it untouched and ended up suffering insanity as the repressed emotions and memories eventually broke free and overwhelmed her mind when she could no longer maintain the blockage in her old age."

"I see," Harry replied, sadly. "I will accept your offer then," he told Dumbledore, "but I want it to be known that I still don't like this plan at all."

"Fair enough," Dumbledore answered his smile and twinkle returning with full force. "You are doing an excellent service to the greater good with your actions too, you know?"

Harry just nodded, refraining the urge to roll his eyes at the mention of the 'greater good'.

"So when will we be doing this?" he queried, wearily.

"Right now will suffice," was Dumbledore's reply. "If you will follow me, please."

Dumbledore led Harry and the adults into the room in which Snape had held his Occlumency lessons last night.

"Why are they all here?" Harry asked as he regarded Hermione, Ron, Malfoy, Madame Pomfrey, Gred, Forge and Ginny who were standing to one side of the room against the wall.

"Well, when I explained what was going to take place today, your friends were kind enough to come here for moral support. Madame Pomfrey will be here in the event that anyone succumbs to an injury," Dumbledore continued, not noticing the horrified and embarrassed expression on Harry's face. Didn't Dumbledore realise how much he hated attention of any kind?

"How are you going to get rid of the block?" Harry asked, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone in the room.

"You have a rather strong block in your mind, Potter. Stubborn to the end, hmm?" Snape growled. "The Headmaster and I will be travelling through your mind and will destroy the block from within. I don't really know how this will affect you but I advise you to brace yourself and not attempt to fight us. Though I seriously doubt your meagre defences could even impede us at all…"

Once more swallowing his anger, Harry nodded his head to indicate that he understood.

"Ready, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired, his wand already pointing at him.

Nodding, Harry turned and met both Dumbledore and Snape's gazes squarely.

"LEGILIMENS!"

* * *

"This really is an odd place," Snape thought to himself as he led Dumbledore into the deep recesses of Potter's mind. 

Any practicing Legilimens knew that all minds were formed and organised differently. Untrained people had minds, in which thoughts and emotions swirled chaotically, making it easy for someone to forcefully obtain information and read their minds. Wizards and witches who had mastered Occlumency, had minds far more orderly and structured. The shape of their mind was determined by their characteristics. For example, if the person was particularly nature-orientated, their mind may take on the shape of a tree, with each branch harbouring a different category of thoughts. If the Occlumens was a trained soldier, their mind may take the form of a labyrinth of empty bunkers. Someone who loved animals may have their memories guarded by different animals.

Potter, on the other hand, was at the stage where he had some Occlumency knowledge but was not fully adept at controlling his mind. Hence, his mind was a curious mix of order and chaos. Scattered amongst the freely whirling thoughts and emotions were numerous floating feathers. Each shone a luminous white at the centre but they all were tinged a different colour at the edges. All colours of the rainbow were present as the feathers drifted to and fro on an invisible wind.

Snape watched with amusement as Dumbledore paused and tried to grab a tinged blue feather that fluttered nearby. Each time Dumbledore attempted to grasp the feather, it would elude him by swiftly darting out of reach.

"It seems that that is the extent of Potter's defences," Snape informed his frustrated Headmaster.

"That's odd," he replied, frowning behind his large, silver beard. "I thought that Occlumency defences were always offensive in some way. This is almost like passive resistance but that shouldn't be possible in this branch of magic. It is far too subtle a tactic."

"You're right. This shouldn't be possible but since when did Potter ever follow the rules? I have tried to tell Potter to be more aggressive in his resistance but it seems this is the best the boy can do," Snape commented, sourly.

"Interesting. I shall have to think about this later. Where is the block?"

"Just up here," Snape answered steering Dumbledore further into the mind. "Here," he stated, indicating the empty space in front of him.

"I don't see anything," Dumbledore grumbled.

"Look closer."

"All right but I don't see how this will help… Sweet Merlin!" Dumbledore uttered, as a gigantic black marble wall seemed to suddenly appear before him. The wall seemed to stretch endless all directions making Dumbledore wonder how he had missed it in the first place.

"Albus…" Snape murmured after several boring minutes in which the Headmaster had just stared at the wall in front of him with no sign of returning to reality.

"Sorry, Severus. I got distracted. All right, I think the Reducto curse should do it. Between us both we should have enough power to destroy this block," Dumbledore commented.

"Isn't the Reducto curse a bit crude for a task like this. We wouldn't want to damage to brat's mind," Snape remarked.

"No, the simpler the spell the better in this case, I think. If we use any really complex magic, we may have an even greater impact on the boy's mind," was Dumbledore's explanation.

"Fine."

"Okay, on three? One, two…"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a quiet voice spoke from behind the two wizards.

Wands out ready to cast, they turned around and faced the person behind them. They were not expecting their target to be a younger version of Potter. He looked to be around three or four years old, his hair as messy as ever. His features were basically the same as the elder Potter's albeit chubbier. The sole exception was that the boy's green eyes looked even older and more haunted then usual. Snape was also horrified to note that the loose clothing that the boy wore, which he originally assumed was red, was actually white stained with blood. In his hand he held a single bloodied feather.

"You are the part of Harry's mind that knows what's behind the memory block" Snape guessed wildly.

"Yes," the child responded, his eyes never leaving Snape's. "You should leave it as it is. There are some memories and magics that should be left undisturbed, especially by outsiders."

"So Harry's magic is being suppressed," Dumbledore reasoned. "Then I'm afraid we must unblock Harry's memory for the sake of the greater good."

"Nothing will ever be done for Harry's sake, will it?" the young Harry asked rhetorically. He sighed before focusing once more on them. "I cannot stop you from continuing through with your plan but I can warn you. There will be no turning back after this point. This choice will have a great impact on the future of everyone, especially Harry's. Are you willing to accept this?"

"We must do what we must for the greater good," Albus nodded to show that he wished to continue. Young Harry then swung his gaze to meet Snape's. Hesitantly, Snape too, nodded his head.

At the motion, the child in front of him muttered, "So be it," and slowly turned and floated away, tears trailing unheeded down his cheeks. Snape felt himself shudder slightly, knowing that the look of betrayal and hopelessness on that brat's face would most likely haunt him for the rest of his life.

"It must be done," Albus stated sombrely, patting him on the shoulder. "On three. One, two, THREE!"

"REDUCTO!"

As their joint spell hit, the wall began to crack and break asunder. Both wizards continued to expel more and more magic. The destruction of the barrier continued until suddenly, it exploded under the force of the spell. Dumbledore and Snape went flying as the memories behind the wall were released. They were flung outwards, past multiple coloured feathers until BANG! They were back into their physical bodies and were thrown against the wall. Luckily, they had learnt their lesson from what had happened yesterday and their backs only hit a cushioning charm rather than the actual wall.

"Are you both okay?" Madame Pomfrey immediately asked as she raced to their sides.

"Fine," Snape grunted, easing himself into sitting position. He impatiently brushed off the mediwitch's ministrations as he turned his gaze to look at Potter.

"How's he been?" he asked his Godson.

"Nothing really dramatic has happened. He's only been standing there with his eyes shut. He did get a bit tense just before you and the Headmaster returned but that's about it," Draco responded.

"Be patient," Albus stated for everyone. "Severus and I only just destroyed the memory block. He will be replaying the blocked event in his mind now. It doesn't seem that bad," he concluded, pointing at Potter's semi-relaxed stance. He spoke too soon. As soon as the words left his mouth, all hell broke loose as Potter began to scream and cry.

"NO! I'M SORRY! I DIDN"T MEAN TO! I DIDN'T WANT THEM! THEY JUST CAME! PLEASE! STOP! DON'T! IT HURTS! IT HHHHHHHHUUUUURRRRRTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSS! AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! STOP! PLEASE!!!!!!"

Everyone stood stock-still in the room, aghast at Harry's words. The primordial scream of pain Harry let loose as he fell to his knees and hugged his shoulders jerked Madame Pomfrey out of her shock and the basic healer instinct in her kicked in. She rushed forwards to Harry's side but was stopped before she got there by Dumbledore's arm, which latched securely onto her own, as she attempted to run past him.

"Headmaster?" she asked, tears running down her face.

"There is nothing you can do, my dear. You can't help him face a memory," Dumbledore explained sadly.

At these words Mrs Weasley, McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, Hermione and Ginny promptly burst into helpless tears. Most of the males in the room looked close to tears themselves though they were too manly to let them fall. Thus, the group watched in tortured silence as Harry continued to scream and moan in pain. They observed helplessly as numerous injuries appeared all over Harry's body and they as one, witnessed the bloodied wings that sprang forth from Harry's back in a spray of blood…

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A/N: Yes, I know that this is a really nasty place to end the chapter but I need to break it up a bit. You will of course be getting Harry's view in the next chapter, so please don't fret. I will be updating within the fortnight. School starts again next week, so cut me a bit of slack. Please review! Reviews inspire me to write more. Hint, hint. 


	7. Chapter 7: The Pain of the Past

**Ends and Means**

Hey everyone! Wow, I can't believe it's already chapter 7! Time sure does fly. I've only got about 11 days of high school left too! (I'm not including block exams in this) Hooray! Of course this does mean I'll be extra busy but I promise to make the time to continue updating this story so don't worry. Cheers to everyone who's reviewed, favourited, etc. I really do appreciate it. I get this lovely warm, fuzzy feeling when I open my inbox and find that I have about 40 e-mails waiting for me. _Grins_. Please keep it up and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Oh, and before I forget, special thanks to TFG for the detailed review. Please keep it up as your feedback is always insightful.

Also, to Tati1, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I love wing fics too. Thanks for the GLOMP. Lol.

Bye!

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**Chapter 7: The Pain of the Past**

Harry felt like an idiot at the moment. He had been standing here with his eyes clenched shut for what felt like ages, waiting for Snape and Dumbledore to destroy the mind block. He could feel the weight of the stares of the people around him and it made him feel very uncomfortable. He hated being in the spotlight. It made him feel cornered, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hurry up and get it done, " he silently urged Snape and Dumbledore. As if responding to his unspoken command, Harry felt a tremendous release in his mind, as if a rock had collapsed beneath the forceful waves of the sea. His relief that the deed was done dissipated in an instant as the surging tide of repressed memories swept him away…

* * *

_Four-year old Harry Potter was very annoyed. He was exhausted from the Halloween celebrations that he and his relatives had participated in earlier in the night but he was kept from falling asleep by an irritating itch, which emanated from his upper back. Curious to see what was causing the unpleasant sensation, Harry conjured a small ball of golden light. He was careful to make it dim enough so that it didn't wake his cousin Dudley, who was sprawled across his bed fast asleep on the other side of the room. He held the light steadily in his hand as he got out of bed and made his way to the floor length mirror that was positioned near the door. Willing the light to float just above his head, Harry turned around and lifted up the back of his shirt. What he saw puzzled him greatly. Along his upper back was what looked like a chain of animated, odd-looking symbols, which looped numerous times around his torso. Harry frowned as he observed the silver aura surrounding the markings._

_"Protective magic," he whispered to himself. "A bit of nature magic too," he concluded as he noticed the streaks of vivid green that shot through the silver._

_Ever since Harry could remember he had been able to visualise magic. To him, magic shone different colours that would allow you to tell the nature of the spell. He had first noticed this after he saw a mysterious man in a green cloak vanish with a loud pop in a burst of golden light. By observing the subtle spells used by witches and wizards in the street, Harry had been able to link each colour with a meaning. Silver meant protection and defensive magic, red meant offensive magic. Green was nature magic, gold was manipulation and will whilst blue was healing. Those were the only colours of magic Harry had seen and he was quite proud of how he could easily work out the intention behind a spell. His Uncle and Aunt had even patted him on the head in congratulations when he had mentioned his abilities._

_At the thought of his relatives, Harry smiled. His Uncle and Aunt were very supportive of him. Even though he was still very young, they had deemed him responsible and trustworthy enough to explain to him the truth about his parents and the fact that he was a wizard. Harry could tell that the thought of magic was unnerving to them but they did their best to help him accept and embrace his true identity. Even Dudley, who Harry thought was a bit on the spoilt side, had no problem accepting Harry as a wizard. One of Dudley's favourite pastimes was watching Harry conjure and levitate items for his amusement. All in all, Harry was content with his life and family._

_Pulling his mind back to the matter at hand, Harry studied the symbols on his back in order to find a way to dispel the infuriating itchiness of his back. The links between each symbol were seamless, meaning that there was no weak point. Sighing, Harry decided he was just going to have to use golden magic to will the chain away. Hopefully that would get rid of the itch._

_Focusing his thoughts on what he wanted, Harry reached down into the pool of magic that resided deep inside him and drew forth a generous portion. This done, he manipulated the magic, bending it to his will. The golden magic immediately spread to encompass the silvery green chain around his back. Harry poured more and more magic out as he felt the chain of symbols struggle against his golden magic._

_"By my will!" Harry commanded in his mind, calling forth more and more magic until the silver and green magic was consumed by the gold. Collapsing onto his knees out of sheer exhaustion, Harry reeled back in his magic before turning to regard his now magic free back._

_"What?!" he couldn't help but yelp at the sight that was reflected back at him. Wings! He had wings! They were only a very small pair but that would probably change as he grew older. His wings weren't just one colour either. The long feathers at the very tips of his wings shone a blinding white whilst the shorter feathers in the middle of his wings were a deep ebony. The smallest feathers, which were situated closest to his torso were a vibrant shade of green that matched his eyes. So enthralled by this latest development, Harry didn't realise that Dudley was awake until his cousin spoke._

_"Woah, Harry! You're an angel!" Dudley gasped, his mind recalling the winged beings they had been recently studying in kindergarten._

_Harry just nodded dumbly in response. Noticing Harry's complete shock at the situation, Dudley raced off to wake his parents. Harry stayed where he was, staring in contemplation at the wings sprouting from his back. How in the world was he going to be able to go out into public?_

_The door banging open drew his attention to the arrival of his relatives. Relief seeped through him as he assumed his relatives would some how manage to come up with a solution. This feeling disappeared when he took in the horrified expressions on his Aunt and Uncle's faces._

_"This isn't right! This isn't natural! He's not supposed to have wings, Vernon!" his Aunt cried, clutching Vernon's arm in fear._

_"We shouldn't have encouraged him! I told you we shouldn't have encouraged his freakishness. Look at what has happened!" his Uncle spat._

_"But he's an angel, isn't he, Daddy?" Dudley questioned innocently._

_"No, he's a mistake!" his Uncle replied in anger, which caused Harry to flinch violently._

_"Oh, what do we do, Vernon? We can't let him stay like this! What will the neighbours say? It's been hard enough hiding his magic already and now this! What'll we do?" Aunt Petunia questioned, her horrified gaze stuck on Harry's crying face._

_"I'll put a stop to this," Vernon vowed. "Petunia, take Dudley and go watch some television. I'll take care of the boy."_

_Harry sobbed at the use of the term 'boy' his Uncle used in place of his name. That had never happened before._

_"After this night, there will be no more talk of 'magic' or anything in the least bit unusual. This ends tonight," Vernon concluded. Nodding her head shakily, Petunia followed Vernon's instructions and left the room. A few moments later, the television could be heard playing in the distance._

_After shutting the windows and drawing the curtains, Vernon approached the trembling form of Harry._

_"Boy," Vernon said gruffly, as he gripped Harry's small shoulder. "I didn't want it to be this way but you have left me no choice. This freakishness had gone too far. I will not have you sullying our name with your abnormalities."_

_That said, he turned his unresponsive nephew around and grasped one of the small wings protruding from his back. This move snapped Harry out of his daze._

_"NO! I'M SORRY! I DIDN"T MEAN TO! I DIDN'T WANT THEM! THEY JUST CAME!" Harry yelled as he realised what his Uncle was about to do. He stared up into the face of his Uncle, silently pleading with him, his knees giving way._

_His Uncle just ignored his cries and with an almighty rip, tore one of his wings from his back. Pain unlike anything Harry had ever felt engulfed him as his Uncle pulled repeatedly at the wing, which was still clinging to his back by a single tendon._

_"PLEASE! STOP! DON'T! IT HURTS! IT HHHHHHHHUUUUURRRRRTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSS!"_

_"Bugger it," his Uncle mumbled as he finally gave up on the stubborn tendon that refused to break. Instead he gripped Harry's other wing in his blood soaked hands and pulled._

_"AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! STOP!"_

_Like before, the wing was forcefully pulled from Harry's back except from a single tendon that just managed to connect the wing to his back. Harry sobbed in pain as once more, his Uncle tried to snap the lone connective tendon._

_"PLEASE!!!!!!" Harry begged whilst looking his Uncle straight in the eye but his Uncle was no longer there. The kind if somewhat brusque man that had supported and encouraged Harry had all but vanished, replaced by a merciless monster. His Uncle no longer loved him! His wings had made his Uncle no longer love him and his Aunt to fear him! As this realisation dawned on him, Harry released a heartbroken scream. It was all his wings' fault! They were the reason he was in so much pain! If it weren't for them or his magic, his relatives would still love him! At this thought, his magic reacted in a blaze of gold. It forced his wings back into his back, removed all traces of injuries and gathered up all of Harry's memories, sealing them behind an impenetrable black marble wall. With that done, Harry's magic returned to the pool deep inside him, out of reach until it would be needed again…_

* * *

Present day Harry whimpered in pain as the repressed memory finished playing. It was his fault! He had always thought that the Dursleys were just naturally nasty people and that their hate of wizards stemmed from his Aunt's hatred of his Mother, Lily. But he was wrong. He was the cause of his relatives' fear and anger at the magical world. They had been kind and considerate to him until his wings had appeared. They had changed because of his magic! If it wasn't for him, the Dursleys may have remained the decent people. Sure they had always seemed afraid and unsure of anything not 'normal' but that insecurity had not escalated into downright hatred until Harry had released his wings. It was his fault. He really had ruined their lives. 

"Harry?" Dumbledore's voice filtered into his ears, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Go away," Harry thought fiercely, not wanting to return to reality. He was in so much pain. He just wanted to be left alone. He hated himself so much at the moment.

"Harry?" Dumbledore's voice repeated persistently. Knowing full well that he wasn't going to get his wish, Harry took a deep breath and forced his eyes open. The bright light burnt into his pupils, causing him to wince. When his eyes had adjusted he realised that he was lying rather uncomfortably in a pool of his own blood. His back felt like it was on fire and even breathing was a painful chore.

"Harry, are you back with us?" Dumbledore asked, concerned.

Harry grunted an affirmative.

"Poppy, Severus you can treat him now," Dumbledore stated. A second later, Harry could see shining swirls of blue floating around him.

"Healing magic," he thought tiredly.

Pale fingers opened his mouth and poured a silvery blue potion down his throat, massaging his throat to help him swallow. Instantly, most of the pain dissipated though his broken wings were still a constant ache. Turning his head, Harry took a look at the wings, which had cost him so much. Just like in his memory, only a single, bloody tendon connected them to his back.

"His wings aren't being affected by my magic!" Madam Pomfrey announced in fear. "Severus, give him a blood replenishing potion! They won't stop bleeding! He's lost too much blood as it is!"

The pale hands were back, this time forcing an aqua potion down his throat.

Harry closed his eyes again. The exhaustion and pain were too much for him to handle. Just as he was about to fall into unconsciousness, he felt a warm weight land on his back. Forcing his eyes open, he observed Fawkes crying, his tears falling onto Harry's wings causing them to heal properly and fully reconnect to his back. Smiling slightly in thanks to the phoenix, Harry closed his eyes once more. The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was a bloodied white feather floating down, landing gently in a puddle of his blood.

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A/N: People who review get good karma! 


	8. Chapter 8: Running and Hiding

**Ends and Means**

Hiya peoples! Welcome to chapter 8 of Ends and Means. Firstly, I've only got 4 days of high school left (not including block exams) Woot! Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone whose reading this. Special thanks to all my lovely reviewers! Cheers guys! To be honest, I don't really know if this chapter is up to par or not. I'm afraid I've been having a bit of writer's block of late. The last two chapters were really quite dramatic so they were pretty easy to write but this one deals with the aftermath so it was difficult to work out a suitable way for Harry to react. Hopefully, it's turned out all right but if you feel slightly let down by this chappie, bear in mind that in every story there are highs and lows and you need both for a decent story. Whether you love this chapter or hate it, please let me know as it's a learning experience. That said, enjoy the chapter.

**Replies to reviews:**

**anaknisatanas:**Though I haven't planned this story out fully yet, I don't think Harry will have any other bad memories apart from those I have already included or those in the hp books.

**zafaran: **I'm not gonna make any promises but Snape will definitely play a decent role in this fic. Whether he becomes Harry's foster-father or mentor remains to be seen (I haven't planned that far ahead!) but I quite like Snape myself, so he'll probably be a prominent character.

**Hiyami: **This fic will most likely be longer than Fate so don't worry. I keep calling Fred and George Gred and Forge simply because it seems to suit their characters and I like it. Btw, you shouldn't give up to easily. Together, I believe we can destroy exams! _–Begins heroic quest- _Lol.

**Cathy-Ann: **Geez, somebody needs good karma. What did you do?

**Fraewyn: **Sorry, but for the moment, the only animals Harry can communicate with are people and snakes.

**Semper Paratis: **I'm glad someone's focusing on the colours…

**Ecchansama: **Yes, I admit it. I usually forget to spell check my author's notes. Lol. I loved the irony btw.

**

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Chapter 8: Running and Hiding**

Remus tiredly rubbed his temples as he made himself comfortable in the seat beside Harry's bed. His cub had been unconscious for almost a week now and worry and guilt had taken its toll on Remus' physical and mental state. The black smudges beneath his eyes contrasted darkly with his pasty skin. Based on his reflection in a nearby mirror, Remus knew that more grey hairs were now present mixed in with his amber locks and his eyes looked older.

It was the same for everyone who resided in 12 Grimmauld Place. Witnessing the removal of Harry's memory block had affected everyone deeply. Even Snape and Malfoy had been shaken by the experience. After all, it was a pretty horrific thing to see. There had been so much blood and pain. For a while, nobody knew if Harry would pull through but he had. Thanks to the expertise of Madam Pomfrey, Snape and Fawkes, Harry was fine physically apart from the unusual presence of wings protruding from his back. Mentally though, no one had a clue how Harry fared. With all the crap that Harry had to deal with, his grip on sanity had always been a bit strained. Many feared that this recent development might be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

"Any change, Professor?" Ginny's melancholy voice broke into his thoughts.

Looking up, he saw the resigned look on the youngest Weasely's face. It was obvious what she expected his answer to be.

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid," Remus replied sombrely.

Nodding her head once, Ginny took the seat on the opposite side of Harry's bed, curling her legs beneath her. He knew that she would stay there until Hermione and Ron came to take over her and Remus' watch after lunch. It was a habit the four of them had gotten into over the past week. There would always be at least two of them staying with Harry at all times.

Remus and Ginny sat in subdued silence as they both lost themselves in their own thoughts, neither of them registering the faint groaning Harry released as he awoke.

Harry blinked blearily as he returned to consciousness. His mind churned sluggishly as he tried to recall where he was and what happened. His eyes widened as the memories slowly filtered back in. _The memory block…The Dursleys… His wings…_

Shivering despite the warm blankets piled on top of him, Harry shut his eyes and took a deep breath trying to lessen the pain building up in his heart but to no avail. He felt rife with horror, guilt, self-loathing and a deep sadness.

"Why does this always have to happen to me?" he thought bitterly as he grabbed his glasses and shoved them onto his face. "Why do I always have to suffer? Why can't I just be normal?" As he continued asking these rhetorical questions, anger slowly began to burn, as his bitterness became too much to bear. Hatred the likes of which he had never felt consumed him as he dwelled on the continual injustices and horrors that had plagued his life. Harry allowed the righteous anger to swell until he could no longer feel the deep-seated sadness in his soul. If he lost himself in rage then he wouldn't have to deal with the frightening guilt and grief in his heart.

His newly rediscovered magic reacted to his growing temper, causing the temperature to skyrocket upwards. As the air became hotter, the humidity rose as well making Sirius' now Harry's room, feel like a sauna.

It was then that Remus and Ginny realised Harry was awake. The initial smiles on their faces immediately faded away as they sensed the power radiating off the pissed off teenager in front of them.

"H-Harry? W-What's w-w-wrong? You shouldn't stress y-y-yourself like this. Calm down," Remus soothed but to no avail. Ginny didn't even attempt to reason with Harry. She just bolted from the room and went off to search for help.

"H-Harry?" Remus tried again as he backed up nervously. Harry's magic was now so strong it was making the air warp. "C'mon, cub. Pull through for me."

"I AM NOT YOUR BLOODY CUB!" Harry bellowed as Remus' words met his ears. "DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PLAY THAT DAMN FAMILY CARD ON ME NOW, YOU TRAITOR!" With a growl Harry ripped back his blankets and stood up out of bed.

"T-T-Traitor? W-what do you m-mean?" Remus stuttered as he edged away from the enraged, winged teen. At that moment, his usually easygoing cub strongly resembled a vengeful angel of death. His werewolf senses screamed "Danger" as Harry's face twisted into an ugly scowl.

Harry's response was cut off by the arrival of Dumbledore, Snape, Malfoy, Hermione and the Weasleys.

"Harry, calm down," Dumbledore ordered as he entered the room slowly. His hands were held up in a pacifying nature as he cautiously made his way forward. "I know that you've suffered a lot lately and I can appreciate that I may be partly to blame for that but I will not have you taking out your anger on Remus. He has done nothing wrong."

"He has betrayed me." Harry counted coldly, ignoring numerous protests. "You all have. Don't think I didn't notice how bloody happy everyone was when they found out I had a repressed memory that could be weakening my magic. You were all so thrilled when you realised that I may finally have enough power to finish off Voldemort 'cause that's all I am to you, isn't it? I'm just your fucking weapon against him. It doesn't matter if I have to suffer or even die. My only use is to defeat that bastard."

"No, you're wrong Harry," Hermione sobbed.

"Shut up! I'm not gonna sit around and take this shit any more. I will fulfil the stupid prophecy and kill the evil git but I will do it on my terms. Not yours! You all have no more say in this matter. Especially you, you manipulative old coot," I growled at Dumbledore. "Now I'm gonna walk out that door and leave this place. I shall see you all on September 1st at Hogwarts and you will be content with this. I don't want anyone to try to find, visit or abduct me before then. If anyone breaks this rule, I will never forgive you. If you still want to be my friends, I expect you to leave me be for the rest of the holidays and reflect on how you treat your others. Goodbye," Harry finished monotonously, striding towards the door.

"I'm sorry you feel this way, Harry but I'm afraid I can't let you just leave. Voldemort could easily capture you and we cannot take that risk," Dumbledore stated, blocking the doorway with his body as he pulled out his wand.

"You have no say in the matter, old man. Move aside," Harry commanded.

"No," was Dumbledore's simple reply.

Infuriated by Dumbledore's refusal, Harry swept his hand in a wide motion across his body. His magic immediately followed the silent order, flinging the Headmaster across the room and holding him against a wall. Dumbledore's wand cluttering onto the stone floor was the only sound heard as everyone stared in awe at Harry's use of nonverbal, wandless magic.

"Until September," Harry uttered, nodding a farewell to the group at large before he grabbed his trunk and left the room. Bangs could be heard as Harry descended the stairs and then there was silence.

Malfoy was the first to emerge from his shock. Taking in the stifling heat of the room and the Headmasters form splayed across the back wall, he couldn't help but whistle appreciatively.

"Damn, talk about exiting with style," he remarked, earning him a glare from Dumbledore and a smirk from his Godfather.

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Harry fell out of the fireplace in a cloud of soot and smoke. 

"Who the hell thought that travelling via fireplaces would be a good idea? Morons," he thought angrily, as he picked himself up and brushed off the ask coating his clothes. Inhaling deeply, he let out his breath to the count of ten, trying to rein in his temper.

After all, he was technically barging into someone's house without permission or notice. He would have to handle this situation very carefully if he wanted to make sure that the Order couldn't find him. He also had to convince the people of the household to let him lay low for a while at least until he learnt to hide his wings. He knew that there was only one possible family that would take in a famous celebrity who had been portrayed as insane attention seeker by the media the previous year and who now sported a pair of wings, so he couldn't mess this up.

The soft padding sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to the presence of his sort of friend.

"Greetings Harry," Luna dreamily smiled. "I see you've acquired some new appendages. No doubt you've got some seraphic blood in you, either that or you've been bitten by a Snelltoad. Nasty creatures, they are."

"Hey Luna," Harry grinned nervously. "I know this is kind of short notice but do you think that I could stay at your house for the rest of summer? I just need some place to lay low and do a bit of research away from everyone's eyes. Do you mind?" he inquired.

"That's fine, Harry. That's' the reason why I gave you my address at the end of last year anyway. You helped me last year so I'll help you now. I'm sure Dad will happily let you stay and we won't tell anyone you're here if you like," the blonde replied airily.

Luna turned out to be right about her father's willingness to let Harry stay over. Xenophilius Lovegood was thrilled to have his daughter's friend visiting. The wings spurting from Harry's back may have been the reason for this however. It was obvious that Xenophilius was fascinated by the feathered appendages and even offered Harry the use of his extensive library so he could work out why he had wings in the first place.

Thus, the rest of Harry's summer was pretty relaxing and uneventful. Harry dedicated most of his time to researching the origin of his wings, Luna and Xenophilius pitching in when they could.

So far they had ruled out Harry having creature blood. There was no evidence of a non-human in the Potter family tree and it was unfeasible for it to have come from his mother's side of the family. It was impossible for people who didn't have magic to possess creature blood as magical creatures needed magic to survive in everyday life and as Lily was the first witch in that family for numerous generations, the possibility that Harry had creature blood was effectively ruled out.

That didn't leave many other options however. There had never been a case like this before so they were basically on there own. Xenophilius spent his time looking up myths containing angels and other winged beings whereas Luna focused on Snelltoads, which Harry found out were little mushroom-like animals that changed colour to suit the seasons and whose bite could cause you to grow extra limbs. Harry on the other hand, decided to look through old tomes on ancient and forgotten spells, in the hope of chancing upon the answer.

The work was tedious but it kept Harry's mind off the guilt, sorrow and anger he still felt after the whole 'repressed memory' incident. Luckily, neither Xenophilius nor Luna had asked what had caused Harry's wings to appear in the first place to which he was eternally grateful. He just wanted to forget about it ever happening.

The only break in their daily researching cycle occurred about a week after Harry had arrived. Hedwig, who Harry realised with a guilty start he had left at Grimmauld Place, flew in bearing multiple (magically lightened) packages and letters.

The letters all basically stated the same thing. Everyone was sorry and hoped that Harry would take care of himself over the rest of summer. The only variances had been in Dumbledore's letter who urged him to "reconsider his plans" and suggested that they "meet up to sort out their differences" and Malfoy's letter (which Harry was surprised to receive), which went on and on about what a stylish exit he had made. Apparently it had been two gruelling days before Dumbledore had been able to unstick himself from that wall.

The packages contained all the birthday presents he hadn't been able to get whist staying at the Dursleys. He received the usual assortment of food from the whole Weasley clan, a Chudley Cannons t-shirt from Ron and a prankster's kit from Gred and Forge. Hermione and Remus had each gotten him a book on advanced defensive magic whilst Ginny had sent him framed picture of the whole DA gang.

Hagrid's gift was by far the best however. He had given Harry a slightly furry drawstring bag to wear around his neck. According to Xenophilius, it was a mokeskin bag, which meant that only the owner would be able to retrieve whatever item was place inside. Harry had wasted no time in shoving the Marauders' Map, his invisibility cloak and the small collection of white feathers that he had collected whenever they had fallen out of his wings into the small, brown bag. He had been delighted when he noticed that the weight and size of the bag had not altered despite the items in it.

After the arrival of Hedwig, the residents of Lovegood House returned to their research. Little progress was made on determining the cause of Harry's wings but they did discover a way to hide the wings.

It was a complicated glamour spell that Harry had found when randomly flipping through a rather archaic book called _Of Defensive Magicks: Spells to Counter Any and All but One_. The _Dissimulo_ charm was essentially a spell that would stop the physical presence of an object from registering on the five senses. Put simply, it would make something undetectable by sight, sound, touch, taste and even smell. It would seem as if that item didn't exist at all. The only drawback to the charm was that though the spell itself only had to be cast once, every full moon he had to drink a booster potion called Moon Stealth. Moon Stealth was an extremely complex potion to make, containing several rare and expensive ingredients but Harry thought that the results were definitely worth it. He knew he couldn't return to the Wizarding world with wings sticking out of his back. He'd probably be taken into captivity and studied by the Ministry or worse, by Voldemort.

Time continued to pass and soon the remaining 47 days of summer had been and gone (Harry kept count by the number of feathers he had in his mokeskin bag. It seemed that he lost a feather for every day that passed) and soon Harry and Luna were due back at Hogwarts.

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A/N: Review if you love me! Review if you hate me! Review if you feel neutral towards me! Basically what I'm saying is REVIEW! 


	9. Chapter 9: All Aboard

**Ends and Means**

Hey everyone. I'm really, really sorry it took so long to update but I have a very good excuse. That's right! I have now officially graduated from high school! Hell yeah! So yes, I've been busy with block exams, my graduation mass (I was one of the few girls who didn't cry), the formal valedictory dinner, etc. SMCC seniors 2007 forever! Lol. Sorry but I really am excited about finishing. I've also got a driving test on Thursday (to get my Ps). Wish me luck, okay?

In regards to this chapter, I'm afraid my muse has momentarily vanished so I don't know how well this chappie will go down. I am building up to something so stick around. Remember that I don't own Harry Potter though I really wish I did. Bye!

Replies to reviews:

**Fraewyn:**I get your point but seeing how Snape treated Harry for the past 5 years, I doubt he would immediately turn to Snape for help. Both characters have to learn to trust each other before any thing like that could happen.

**Semper Paratis:** I'm glad you thought it was a good idea. Ta.

**Vellouette** I'll bear your preference in mind when I start to consider pairings.

**anaknisatanas** I haven't really decided on pairings as yet. In regards to Harry's wings, this chapter coupled with the previous one should answer your question.

**The French Dark Lord** My fic made your day? Wow. I'm honoured.

**The Wandmaker** Thank you for your insightful review. I really do hope I can pull off a decent story. One question though: what's cathartic mean? I couldn't find it in my dictionary…

**panther73110** Sorry but Harry's staying in Gryffindor. I agree that he possesses a lot of the other house's qualities but in the end, I think his bravery outshines them all…

**FrequencyQueen**: Lol. I enjoyed coming up with that bit.

**Obsessive Child** I'm glad you like how I'm portraying Draco. I'm trying to keep everyone in character whilst letting them develop as people. It's hard though so forgive me if I occasionally slip. In regards to all your other questions, I'm afraid to answer them would be to spoil the story. Just keep reading, okay?

**Heather** I'm afraid you're just gonna have to read on to find out the answers…

**BatteredChild** I'm glad you enjoyed my last chappie. I'm afraid I can't give out many details about Harry's wings for fear of spoiling the story.

**ardeo** Thanks. One of the reasons I started writing this was 'cause there were so few wings fics on and the wings fics I could find were always about creatureHarry. I wanted to do something a bit different.

**symarah** Thank you so much for your review. I'm pretty sure you've got the meaning of Xenophilius' name right.

**2693** I'm glad you're enjoying. I do admit the start was a bit slow but I needed to build it up.

**ahappyjtm** thanks for reviewing. I agree about the plucked chicken look. Lol

**innocent-puppet**: thanks so much. I'm free now! Yahoo!

Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favourited or added my story to their C2s. I really appreciate it!

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Chapter 9: All Aboard**

"Are you sure you both have everything?" Xenophilius asked as he led Harry and Luna through the crowd towards the pillar between platforms nine and ten.

"Of course, Dad," Luna breezily replied. "Even if I did forget something, I'm sure it will make its way to me when I need it."

"Harry?" Xenophilius inquired.

Harry quickly ran through a mental checklist in his head before nodding happily.

"Thanks again for buying my school supplies and books for me, sir," Harry smiled, "and for letting me stay at your house as well. I'm in your debt."

"Nonsense, Harry. It was a pleasure having you over and in any case, you've already given me something in the way of repayment," Xenophilius sighed happily, thinking about the long, white flight feathers Harry had given him as a gift. "I'm positive those feathers are the key element to reproducing Ravenclaw's diadem. I'll owl you when it's finished."

"I'm looking forward to it," Harry responded.

"Here's the barrier," Luna exclaimed, drawing the attention of a few nearby muggles who looked at her as if she was crazy.

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly at her antics, Harry turned his gaze to the barrier and was almost blinded by the sight. Intense, golden light pulsed where the barrier was, burning into Harry's corneas. Quickly setting Hedwig's cage on his trunk, Harry whipped out a pair of dark lenses and attached them to his glasses. He breathed a sigh of relief as the shades dampened the brightness of the light, allowing Harry to see clearly.

"Ooh, this is the first time I've seen you wear our birthday present for you," Luna murmured, staring into my face. "I still think they would have looked better if you chose the lenses with the miniature fish swimming inside them though."

"They look just fine as they are," Xenophilius interjected, looking Harry over critically. "Anyway, the fish in the lenses would have made it a bit difficult for Harry to see and as he's the Gryffindor seeker, he needs to have excellent eyesight…"

Harry tuned out their playful banter as he thought back to earlier that summer when they had taken an impromptu trip to Diagon alley. His ability to see magic in colours usually took Harry a conscious effort but if the magic was strong enough, Harry would see it without any effort at all. He discovered this when on entering Diagon alley; Harry had been so overwhelmed by the rainbow of flashing and glaringly bright colours that he had almost had a seizure.

Fortunately, Xenophilius had quickly grasped what had happened and dragged Harry into a nearby magical lens maker and bought him a pair of dark lenses magically charmed to attach to his regular glasses. When Harry had gotten out his small sack of galleons to pay for the purchase, Xenophilius had insisted it was a birthday present from Luna and him. He had then forced Harry and Luna to go back home so Harry could recover whilst Xenophilius took care of the school supply shopping.

Luna grabbing his arm snapped Harry back into reality.

"It's almost time," Xenophilius stated as he motioned them through the barrier. Harry was about to walk through it when Xenophilius reached out and grabbed his shoulder in warning. Turning to see what the trouble was, Harry realised that the muggles who had heard Luna exclaim about the barrier earlier were still watching them curiously.

"We'll need to distract them if we want to get through without being seen," Xenophilius reasoned.

Harry immediately began to rack his brain in an effort to come up with a decent distraction but before he could think up anything, Luna decided to step in.

"ARGH! IT'S A SNELLTOAD," she yelled, pointing to an area behind the watching muggles.

Startled by her scream they instantly turned to look where she was pointing at. Luna took this opportunity to swiftly shove both Harry and her father through the barrier, stepping through a moment later.

"Umm… Luna I don't think pretending to see a snelltoad was what your father had in mind for a distraction," Harry explained, after he got over his initial surprise.

"Pretend? Who's pretending? I was serious. There really was one behind them," Luna replied. "I hope they're okay…" Luna concluded causing Harry to sweatdrop.

"I'll check them after I see you two off," Xenophilius cut in, pushing them through the crowded platform. "Quickly now, the train's about to leave."

They raced over to one of the doors and Luna and Harry jumped on just as the train started to stir. After Luna hugged her dad goodbye, Harry grasped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Take care, both of you. Luna, I'll see you at Christmas. Harry, you're more than welcome to stay over then too. Also, remember that the next full moon is in three days time. I'll owl you the ingredients when I get them. You have the potion recipe? Good. You've brewed it twice before now so you should be right making it without my help. Just keep count in your mind and you should be fine. Farewell, kids!" Xenophilius waved as the train took off.

"Bye!" they both yelled in return before dragging their trunks into the main corridor and shutting the door.

"Let's find a compartment," Harry said, leading Luna down the corridor, ignoring the people who stared at them as they passed.

They soon ended up sharing a compartment with Neville who was glad to have some company.

"Ron and Hermione are in the prefect's compartment," Neville explained once they had put their trunks in the luggage rack. Luna sat down instantly, the latest edition of the Quibbler already open at the first article.

"Ginny came by earlier looking for you," he continued, pointing at Harry. "Nice shades by the way."

"Thanks," Harry muttered with a grin as he detached the dark lenses from his glasses and stashed them in the mokeskin bag around his neck. "It's good to see you again, Neville. How were your holidays?"

"They were all right. Gran was really proud of what we did at the Department of Mysteries. She reckons I remind her more and more of my parents every day," he answered, puffing up his chest a bit in pride.

"Good for you, Nev," Harry laughed. He was glad Neville seemed to have gained a bit of confidence from that nightmare. His smile slipped from his face as the thought of the events at the Ministry stirred up feelings of guilt and sorrow. Harry drew his legs up onto the seat and leaned against the window as his mood dampened.

"Then there was all that crap in the Daily Prophet about the 'Chosen One' and all that stuff. You should prepare yourself, Harry. No doubt the whole school is going to be watching you," Neville continued, oblivious to Harry's mood.

As Neville's words registered, Harry snapped out of his reverie.

"What do you mean the 'Chosen One'?" he asked curiously.

Neville's eyes widened comically.

"Blimey, haven't you been reading the papers, Harry? That's what they've been calling you lately!"

"What?" Harry yelped.

"Here, take a look," Neville offered, giving Harry today's Daily Prophet. Harry glowered as he saw that a photo of himself grinning sheepishly took up nearly the whole of the front page, leaving very little room for the actual article.

_HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?(1)_

_Mass speculation is rife throughout the country, as the general populace still reels from the attack orchestrated by You Know Who on the British Ministry. Though exact details regarding this horrific breach of security are not generally known, rumour has it that the Death Eaters involved in the incident were after a prophecy involving He Who Must Not Be Named and Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived._

_This latest speculation has led to many deeming the sixteen-year-old Hogwarts student as the 'Chosen One'. Mr Potter, who has had to put up with fierce criticism and pressure from the Wizarding world, is famous for surviving the Killing curse and consequently defeating You Know Who at the tender age of one. In more recent years, he is noted for his victory in the Triwizard Tournament at the age of fourteen and his contribution to the defence of the Ministry against You Know Who earlier this year. Furthermore, Mr Potter… (Cont. page 2.)_

"I take it that's why everyone was staring at me when I passed by them in the corridor?" Harry grimaced, as he folded up the paper and gave it back to Neville.

"I'd say so, yeah," Neville answered, tucking the paper back into his trunk. "They've even been staring at me a fair bit too. It's kind of creepy actually. I don't know how you always put up with it."

"Had to get used to it, didn't I?" Harry mumbled stretching out his legs across the seat in a bid to get comfortable. Leaning his back against the wall, Harry couldn't help but frown. Though the Dissimulo made it so that not even he could feel his wings, the top of his back where the wings met his skin was still able to feel. Thus, he still felt his back straining slightly with the weight of his wings. It was a rather uncomfortable sensation, one that Harry still hadn't gotten used to.

SLAM!

The compartment door snapped open causing Neville to jump. Luna, on the other hand, didn't even blink.

"Harry!" Ginny tittered joyfully as she stepped into the compartment. She was already dressed in her Hogwarts robe and had a small brown barn owl sitting on her shoulder. Much to Harry and Neville's surprise she was soon followed by Malfoy who smirked at them both.

"Potter, Longbottom," Malfoy acknowledged, with a nod.

"Malfoy," Harry nodded back whilst Neville just looked at Malfoy as if he was the devil incarnate.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Neville demanded, gripping his wand steadily. Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. He hadn't thought Neville's confidence had risen to the point where he would challenge the Slytherin who had bullied him for five years. Malfoy obviously was thinking along the same lines as he just raised one eyebrow in question and held his ground.

"Oh, will both of you please behave?" Ginny begged, exasperated. As neither of the boys seemed inclined to back down, she turned to Malfoy "Draco, you were only in a fight five minutes ago, do you really want to be in another one already?"

"But he started it," Malfoy whined childishly, facing her.

"And I'm finishing it. Now sit down!" Ginny commanded. Sighing, Malfoy complied, shoving Harry's legs off the seat.

Neville just looked between Ginny and Malfoy.

"Since when do you call him Draco? Why is he sitting with us anyway?" Neville inquired, placing his wand back into his pocket and sitting back down next to Luna.

"A lots changed over the summer, Neville. Suffice to say, that Draco is now on our side," Ginny uttered as she withdrew a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill from her front robe pocket. She quickly scribbled a note and then, after giving it to the owl, threw the owl out the window.

"What was that, Gin?" Harry queried, shifting his legs to get comfortable once again.

Ginny blushed.

"Oh, um… it was nothing really important. Just a job I was asked to do," she mumbled.

"Right…" Harry responded, not caring enough to pursue the subject. He turned instead to Malfoy. "So what's this about you being in a fight already? I thought I was the only one you deemed worthy to annoy the hell out of."

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter," Malfoy sneered, his eyes darkening to a stormy grey. "Anyway, I wasn't the one who started the fight."

"What do you mean?"

"A few of the older Slytherins are not impressed by my turning my back on Father. To some of them, I've disgraced the name of Slytherin by not complying with the Dark Lord's will."

"He was fighting off six of them when I found him. Ron and Hermione heard the tussle too and between us we managed to fight them off. Hermione's issued them all a detention with Professor Snape as punishment. They all reckon they got let off easily. Wait til they find out how protective Snape is in regards to his Godson," Ginny finished with an evil grin.

Harry weakly grinned at her attempt to lighten the mood but he couldn't help feeling a bit bad for the blonde boy.

"Anyway, how are you, Harry?" Ginny continued tentatively.

"I'm fine now, thanks. Staying at Luna's place was relaxing and heaven knows I needed a break."

"Are you… are you still mad at everyone?" she questioned quietly, her hands twisting and untwisting in her lap.

"I can't say I've forgiven everyone just yet. I am still a bit upset with how I was treated but I told you all earlier that I would try to work things out with you guys and I still plan to do that. Just don't expect me to instantly forget everything and start doling out kisses and flowers 'cause that's not going to happen."

"Thank Merlin for that," Malfoy shuddered. "You seem to be doing fine when dealing with me and the Weaslette though," Malfoy pointed out, dodging the slap from Ginny about the 'Weaslette' gag.

"That's because Ginny hasn't really done anything to upset me and I'm used to _you_ being an arse," was Harry's reply.

For some reason this comment made Ginny flush. On seeing this, Malfoy grinned causing Harry's eyes to narrow. Something was obviously going on between those two.

"Um… OWL results," Ginny spoke, desperately coming up with a change of topic. "Hermione did really well and Ron's wasn't too bad either. How did you do?"

"Oh, um… wait a tick," Harry muttered as he reached under his shirt to his mokeskin bag. After doing a fair bit of digging around, he pulled forth the official looking letter he had received a week before. See for your self," he directed, handing the parchment envelope to Ginny. She skimmed through it quickly, Malfoy and Neville reading over her shoulder.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS(2)_

_Pass Grades: Outstanding (O) Fail Grades: Poor (P)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)_

_Acceptable (A) Troll (T)_

_HARRY JAMES POTTER_

_Astronomy: A_

_Care of Magical Creatures: E_

_Charms: E_

_Defence against the Dark Arts: O_

_Divination: P_

_Herbology: E_

_History of Magic: D_

_Potions: E_

_Transfiguration: E_

"He did fairly well, didn't he?" Luna's dreamy voice commented as the trio finished reading. From the looks of it, she had completed reading the Quibbler and had now taken to studying the long, white feather Harry had given her as a charm.

"Is that…one of yours?" Ginny inquired as she saw it in Luna's hands.

Harry just nodded in response. Ignoring the questioning glance Neville sent his way, he busied himself by shoving the letter back into his bottomless bag.

"Can I have a look, please?" she asked, thanking Luna as she was handed it.

"It's warm," she murmured in surprise.

"I wonder what kind of properties it has," Malfoy wandered aloud, studying the feather critically as Ginny turned it over in her hands. "Severus would probably hand over a small fortune to have one of these to experiment with."

"Well, he's not getting one anytime soon," Harry responded, feeling slightly irked with the idea of Snape using his feathers to produce some random, foul potion. "I'm a bit annoyed at him at the moment."

"Geez, Potter. Childish much?"

"You're one to talk, you…."

Whatever Harry was going to say was cut off by a high pitched squeal, which rocked the train.

"That's the train's brakes but it's way too early for us to have arrived yet," Harry said, his brow creasing in worry. He grabbed his wand, urging everyone to do the same. He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

A/N: All right, guys. I'm kinda stumped on what should happen next. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

By the way, for those who thought that Harry was no where near as pissed off as he should be in this chapter, bear in mind he has just had a relaxing holiday away from the Dursleys, the OotP and the wizarding world so he's calmed down a bit. Plus, he hasn't run into anyone who's actually betrayed him.

Bearing this in mind, please review… or else the bunny gets it! Mwahaha…

1 For the record, I only took the Headline from HBP. The rest of the article I made up from scratch.

2 I really couldn't be bothered making up my own.


	10. Chapter 10: Entries and Exits

**Ends and Means**

Hello everyone. Welcome to my tenth chapter of Ends and Means. Firstly, I'm sorry it took a little longer than usual to update. I got my Ps about a fortnight ago so I've busy driving my car (who I've named Harold _grins_) So yes, I've been a bit busy lately so to make up for it, this chapter's a bit longer than the norm (I usually aim for 2000-2500 words per chapter).

Instead of replying to all reviewers separately, this time I'm just gonna make some general statements as most people asked or commented about the same things.

To everyone who complimented me on the fic so far, thank you so very much! _beams_

I also want to thank everyone who gave me ideas on why the train stopped. I chose the one I did 'cause I was already thinking along these lines and it also seemed to be the least suggested (which means it's the most unexpected). Thank you though, for all your ideas. It helped break my writer's block for which I'm grateful.

In regards to pairings, relationships, etc, I've stated quite a few times that I haven't planned this fic out. I have a basic plot line I'm working with and several scenes I want to include but I haven't gone so far to plan out who's gonna end up with who. So I'm afraid I can't tell you if there's gonna be slash or warn you of pairings. When I know what the pairings are myself, I'll let you know (though I think that may spoil the story). Until then, I don't mind if you say you like or hate certain pairings but please try to keep it civil. Being told that the thought of Ginny and Malfoy together makes u wanna barf is neither helpful nor necessary.

Lastly, I know that Harry is not as angry as you expected him all to be but please bear in mind that he's had a few good weeks at Luna's to relax and calm so please don't expect him to still feel it necessary to rain down Hell upon everyone. Speaking as someone who finds it difficult to stay angry for more than half an hour, I don't find the 'must make everyone die horribly cruel deaths for what they've put me through' Harry to be particularly realistic but then, maybe I'm just naïve. So instead, my Harry will react to the situation he's in as it demands. Whether he's happy, sad or angry, it will be a reaction not an ongoing feeling. I do think a bit of retribution is still necessary though. I'm thinking of political manoeuvres, physical/magical revenge and maybe the odd prank. What do you think?

By the way, the bunny's fine… this time.

**

* * *

Chapter 10: Entries and Exits **

Harry fought to maintain his balance as the train abruptly jolted to a halt. Positioning himself closest to the door, Harry signalled for everyone to remain silent as he strained his ears to hear even the slightest sound. He frowned as he heard multiple footsteps muffled by carpet and the loud chattering of voices drawing nearer. Why were the intruders being so loud and giving away their positions?

Curiosity fought with caution within Harry and after a few seconds of intense internal debate, curiosity won. With the word _stupefy_ on his lips and after a brief signal to those in the compartment with him, Harry quietly slid the door open a crack and peeked out.

He immediately wished he hadn't as on spotting him, one of the intruders screamed "There he is!" which prompted camera flashes to flare, blinding him momentarily.

"What the hell?!" he cried as he swiftly yanked the door shut again before casting a complex locking charm on it. This did nothing to stop voices from drifting through it however and Harry had to bite back a groan as he realised it was the paparazzi that had stopped the train.

"Why couldn't it have been Death Eaters?" Harry complained in his mind. "So much easier to handle."

"Mr Potter, is it true that you have been undertaking secret training these past few months?" one reporter yelled out.

"Is there any basis of truth to rumours regarding you being the 'Chosen One', destined to rid the world of You-Know-Who?" another asked.

"Do you really look up to Albus Dumbledore as both a mentor and a grandfather?" a third questioned, making Harry's hands curl into fists.

"Have you really accepted position of Head Auror at the Ministry of Magic?" the particularly nasal voice of Rita Skeeter rang out.  
"SILENCE!" a thunderously deep voice ordered, effortlessly cutting through the chatter of the reporters. Heavy footfalls could be heard approaching the door and Harry automatically tensed, waiting to see if the door would be blown off its hinges. Instead however, he was mildly surprised when there was a quiet knock on the door. He was even more shocked when the person spoke again.

"Mr Potter? This is Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic. May I please have a word?"

Rather than answer straight away, Harry turned to Neville.

"Fudge got kicked out of office?"

"Yeah," Neville replied. "It happened about a week into summer holidays. Scrimgeour beat Fudge in a landslide victory, which was kind of expected after the whole Department of Mysteries fiasco. I'm surprised you didn't already know this."

"I've been a bit busy lately with other things. I haven't really had the time to catch up with the news. Plus I don't even bother reading the Prophet any more. Not after that rubbish they put in it about me last year," Harry shrugged.

"Mr Potter? Are you going to let me in or not?" the Minister's voice sounded again, albeit a bit less polite this time.

"Sure. Why not?" Harry grumbled before disabling the locking charm he had put on the door earlier. He then proceeded to yank the door open, pull Scrimgeour inside and shut and locked it again without giving the press outside a chance to take a photo of him.

"Now, how can I help you, Minister?" Harry queried, folding his arms and leaning comfortably against the door, his wand still ready in his hand. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him in amusement as Scrimgeour shot a glare at him, looking obviously flustered by Harry's brusque treatment of him. Making a conscious effort to swallow his temper and his pride, Scrimgeour cast several silencing and privacy charms around the small compartment. Noticing Scrimgeour looking pointedly at Ginny, Malfoy, Luna and Neville, Harry nodded to indicate that he could speak freely in front of them.

"I'll get straight to the point, shall I?. Mr Potter, as we all know, He Who Must Not Be Named has returned and consequently, mass panic is sweeping the nation. The Ministry is doing all it can to reassure the people but after that whole Department of Mysteries debacle, I'm afraid that many have lost faith in the Ministry and its ability to protect and preserve our way of life. Thus, I'm here to ask you on behalf of the Wizarding Britain for your assistance in boosting the morale of the community," Scrimgreour declared.

"How so?" Harry asked, carefully studying the man before him.

"Very well. You could easily inspire more faith in the Ministry and myself by perhaps telling the press outside how we are working diligently together in order to defeat You-Know-Who. You could perhaps, express your gratitude to the Ministry for updating Hogwarts' wards, which now stop people from entering the grounds on brooms. You being seen entering and leaving the Ministry of Magic on frequent occasions would also go a long way to the reassurance of the general population."

"So essentially, you want me to be your poster boy," Harry stated with a grimace.

"It will be well worth your while," Scrimgeour promised. "Plus it would be for the greater good of the Wizarding World."

Unbidden, a feral snarl ripped from Harry's throat and the temperature of the room began to rise steadily.

"Don't you ever say those words to me again. I will not be bribed or guilt tripped into lying to people and telling them everything will be okay! I will not be your bloody poster boy! I am utterly sick of people using me as a pawn in their sick little power struggles and I won't let it happen to me again! Now if that's all you have to say Minister, I suggest you leave and take those vermin reporters with you," Harry ground out as he pushed the Minister towards the doorway.

"You will regret this, Potter. I am the Minister of Magic. I will not tolerate being manhandled or slandered by one such as you. You just lost yourself a powerful ally," Scrimgeour growled.

"As if you would do anything useful anyway. Now get out!" Harry commanded, shoving him through the now open door before slamming it in the angry Minister's face.

Fuming, Harry leant against the door and began to take deep breaths in an effort to rein in his temper. He flinched as he felt a hand on his arm but relaxed immediately upon seeing Luna's concerned face looking up at him worriedly.

"C'mon, Harry. Calm down. They're gone now," she coerced, gently uncurling his hand, which was fisted around his wand.

When she had deemed that he was back in control of his emotions, she led him back to his seat before squeezing in next to him.

"Well," Neville broke in lightly, "I don't think they'll be back to bother you again anytime soon."

"Impressive display of temper, Potter. Extra points for controlling the situation too. There's hope for you yet, it seems," Malfoy acknowledged, as the train began to start moving.

Harry rolled his eyes at him, muttering a sarcastic 'thanks'.

"I wonder how they knew were here," Luna mused.

"Well, I thought it would be obvious that I'd be aboard the Hogwarts Express today," Harry pointed out.

"Actually, there was mass speculation that you wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts this year," Neville explained as he settled once more into his seat, Ginny now sitting next to him as Luna had taken her spot.

"Really? Why?" Harry inquired, as he pulled out his school robe from his luggage and shrugged it on.

"No one knew where you were," Neville replied. "The Minister apparently tried to find you at your relative's place but you were already gone. He then checked in with Dumbledore who told everyone that you were taking a well-deserved rest in an unknown location. A lot of people took that to mean that you had either run away, were undergoing secret training somewhere or that Dumbledore had sent you off on an urgent mission. There have even been all these Potter sightings reported in the Daily Prophet. Some people have gone as far as saying you were seen leaving the Chinese Ministry of Magic with a sack full of diamonds."

"That's just stupid," Harry grimaced.

"True but then, so is most of the population," Malfoy pointed out.

"The crux of the matter," Neville continued, "is that no one was really sure you were going to be aboard today. Otherwise I expect the Minister and the press would have ambushed you on Platform 9¾ rather than stop the Hogwarts Express when it was already travelling."

"Which leaves the question, how did they know you were on board, Harry?" Luna pondered.

"Maybe someone sent an owl saying that you were here, Potter," Malfoy smirked, looking pointedly at Ginny who glared back at him.

"Maybe but who…" Harry paused, thinking back to earlier on. He was suddenly struck by an epiphany that made his insides squirm and his temper rise. Two distinct parts of their earlier conversation filtered back in to his mind.

_---_

_"Since when do you call him Draco? Why is he sitting with us anyway?" Neville inquired, placing his wand back into his pocket and sitting back down next to Luna._

_"A lots changed over the summer, Neville. Suffice to say, that Draco is now on our side," Ginny uttered as she withdrew a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill from her front robe pocket. She quickly scribbled a note and then, after giving it to the owl, threw the owl out the window._

_"What was that, Gin?" Harry queried, shifting his legs to get comfortable once again._

_Ginny blushed._

_"Oh, um… it was nothing really important. Just a job I was asked to do," she mumbled._

_"Right…" Harry responded, not caring enough to pursue the subject._

-----

_"Anyway, how are you, Harry?" Ginny continued tentatively._

_"I'm fine now, thanks. Staying at Luna's place was relaxing and heaven knows I needed a break."_

_Are you… are you still mad at everyone?" she questioned quietly, her hands twisting and untwisting in her lap._

_"I can't say I've forgiven everyone just yet. I am still a bit upset with how I was treated but I told you all earlier that I would try to work things out with you guys and I still plan to do that. Just don't expect me to instantly forget everything and start doling out kisses and flowers 'cause that's not going to happen."_

_"Thank Merlin for that," Malfoy shuddered. "You seem to be doing fine when dealing with me and the Weaslette though," Malfoy pointed out, dodging the slap from Ginny about the 'Weaslette' gag._

_"That's because Ginny hasn't really done anything to upset me and I'm used to you being an arse," was Harry's reply._

_For some reason this comment made Ginny flush. On seeing this, Malfoy grinned causing Harry's eyes to narrow. Something was obviously going on between those two._

---

"Ginny…" Harry growled, his voice deeper than usual. "That owl that you sent earlier; what did you write and to whom did you send it to?"

Ginny blushed.

"I-It was nothing important, H-Harry," she stuttered, refusing to meet his eyes.

"You said that it was a job you were asked to do. Were you hired by the Ministry to owl them if I was here?" Harry demanded standing up and aiming his wand at her menacingly.

"N-no! Of course not!" She answered looking fearfully at the murderous look on Harry's face.

SLAM!

"Harry! We heard you were here…" Hermione stated rushing into the compartment. She stopped though when she saw Harry with his wand levelled at Ginny. Ron was not so smart.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO MY SISTER!?" he roared, racing over to confront Harry.

Harry didn't bother removing his gaze from Ginny's as he felt Ron approach. His magic flung the red-haired boy away from him and into a wall before he was even close to Harry.

"I said, 'WERE YOU HIRED BY THE MINISTRY TO OWL THEM IF I WAS HERE?'" Harry yelled, his wand now on her throat.

"NO, I WASN'T," she sobbed, causing Harry to snarl.

"She's telling the truth, Harry!" Hermione broke in from where she was trying but failing to revive the unconscious Ron. "It wasn't the Ministry that put her up to the job but Dumbledore. He just wanted to know whether you were on board or not."

"The Ministry must have intercepted it," Ginny cried weakly. "I'm so sorry!"

"Why? I told Dumbledore that I would be back at Hogwarts on September 1st. Why did he ask you guys to do this? How _could _you guys do this?" Harry asked, the temperature of the room once more increasing.

"We didn't want to, Harry," Ginny cried, "but Dumbledore told us that we had to for the greater good of everyone. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Please believe me!"

Shutting his eyes, Harry began to silently count backward from ten, expelling his breath as he did so. When he was sure he could speak civilly, he addressed them whilst keeping his eyes firmly closed.

"At the moment, I can't bear even looking at you guys. I am going to say this once and once only. For the time being, I do not want to speak, look at or even breathe near you three. I will come to you if, that's if, I ever forgive you. Until then, I suggest you make yourselves scarce whenever you see me. Turning his back to them, he faced where he knew Luna was still sitting and opened his eyes.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to hold onto my temper for much longer if I stay here," he began.

"You're going to fly the rest of the way to Hogwarts," she finished for him. "Yes, I think it's for the best. Have you got your Firebolt?" she asked, glancing at Neville.

"Yeah, it's in my bag," Harry replied, catching onto what she was saying. It wouldn't do for Neville or any of the others for that fact, to know that he still had his wings. They had probably assumed that they had either vanished by themselves or been removed somehow and Harry wanted them to keep that assumption. Always best to keep a trick up your sleeve.

"Later," Harry uttered as he cast a _Disillusionment_ charm on himself. Ignoring Hermione's muttering about rule breaking and dangerous activities, Harry pulled himself swiftly through the open window and onto the roof of the train, being careful to stay low so the howling wind didn't blow him off.

After making doubly sure that he was still disillusioned, he launched himself into the air. He was instantly blown backwards but by opening out his wings to their full span, the tugging wind soon helped him gain altitude until he was floating comfortably amongst the clouds.

The strong sense of freedom that he always felt when flying engulfed him, drowning out his anger and he let out a laugh as he began to swoop and spiral across the sky, following the Hogwarts Express, which slid like a snake through the countryside.

All too soon, the village of Hogsmeade came into sight. It shimmered with magic but it was nothing compared to the glowing castle it was nestled next to. Hogwarts seemed to be made entirely of magic, a great mass of swirling rainbow hues that seemed to outshine the sun. Fishing his darkened shades out of his mokeskin bag, he attached them onto his normal glasses, dimming the light and allowing him to see clearly.

The train had beaten him to the station and consequently, most of the students had already left for Hogwarts on the thestral-drawn carriages. By the time Harry had landed on the platform and cancelled the _Disillusionment_ charm, the last carriage had left. Frowning, he realised he would have to walk up to Hogwarts as the newly updated wards around Hogwarts would prevent him from flying directly there.

A slight tug on his robe dragged him from his contemplation. Whirling around, he withdrew his wand from his pocket and pointed it at his unknown assailant.

Ghostly white eyes stared eerily back into his own, causing Harry to almost drop his wand in shock. He hadn't been expecting a thestral.

The thestral continued to watch him steadily, its skeletal snout releasing Harry's shirt.

"What?" Harry couldn't help but blurt out as the thestral began to sniff around his back, right where his wings would be residing if they were in plain sight.

"Can you… can you tell that I've got wings? That's impossible! The _Dissimulo_ charm is supposed to hide it from all five senses! How can you smell them!" Harry asked, alarm coursing through him. He then proceeded to kick himself as he realised that the thestral couldn't answer him even if it wanted to.

Frowning slightly, he studied the magical creature before him, trying to spot anything that may explain the creature's ability to sense his hidden wings. It looked just like any other thestral except it was slightly bigger than he was used to and it had a curious splash of silver in the shape of a star on it's right flank.

Upon finishing its investigation of Harry's wings, the thestral regarded him for a moment more before sinking down onto the ground beside him.

"What are you… Do you want me to hop on?" Harry asked, feeling a bit foolish talking to the animal.

The star thestral, as Harry had decided to dub it for convenience's sake, just continued to stare at him. Sighing, Harry carefully climbed onto the beast. Remembering his previous experience with thestrals (and after forcing down the feelings of pain and sorrow that these memories evoked), Harry wound his hands firmly into the silky black mane and lodged his legs securely behind its wing joints. As soon as he had settled, the star thestral sprang unbidden into the air and towards Hogwarts.

"Wait! What about the…?" Harry's question died as they slipped easily past the wards and into the school grounds.

"So the wards don't stop animals from crossing? That's right, the Minister specified that only brooms would be stopped from getting through! Does that mean I can fly through with my wings?" Harry wondered as the star thestral flew towards the main entrance of the castle.

Instead of dropping him off at the door as Harry had expected, the star thestral flew through the open doors into the Entrance Hall and towards the Great Hall.

He created quite a stir as he entered the Hall in the middle of the Sorting. To most of the people present, he was riding on nothing but air, which caused many of the younger students and a few of the older ones to gasp or even faint. To those who could see the thestral beneath him however, both awe and terror filled their faces. One first year even screamed in horror and raced out of the room. Harry grinned as he saw this reaction and after a few laps around the room, he finally managed to persuade the star thestral to land, which it did… on the Staff table. The star thestral seemed to take great joy in knocking half the teachers' crockery and cutlery off the table before finally coming to a halt.

Feeling giddy from the flight, Harry vaulted off the thestral's back landing squarely on Snape's now cracked plate.

"Hi everyone!" he couldn't help but smirk as he surveyed the bewildered students and teachers around him.

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A/N: (s_ings)_

What the world needs now…

Are reviews, sweet reviews…

Not just from some…

But from everyone…


	11. Chapter 11: Dinner Drama

**Ends and Means**

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! Sorry I'm so late in my updating but I'm afraid I got a bit caught up visiting relatives and friends. Anyway, I'd just like to thank all my lovely reviewers. You guys are a great source of inspiration and I appreciate every single one of your reviews. Thank you all so much. I hope you like this chapter. Though it's not one of the most exciting chapters I've ever written, it hopefully shall indicate where I'm kinda heading with this fic. Bye for now!

Replies to reviews:

**Everyone: **I'm glad that so many people liked Harry's entrance. To be honest, that was a kinda spur of the moment thing, so I'm glad it was generally received well. To the people who didn't really take to Harry's dramatic entrance, there actually was a reason behind it, as you'll find out in this chapter. If you're still unsatisfied, I do plan on some scenes later on where Harry unleashes all his pent up rage. Be patient please.

**2693: **Hopefully some things will become clearer in this chapter for why Harry is acting as he is. I would also like to point out that this is a fan fiction, meaning that the plot of my story will deviate from the canon. Consequently, the characters will be put through different situations than the canon and thus their personalities will adjust accordingly. So yes, Harry and everyone else will be OOC. (I mean no disrespect when I say this. I just want you to see where I'm coming from.) In regards to Harry's anger, he will most definitely be angry with certain people but please bear in mind that there are many different ways to convey anger. If you have any suggestions that you would like to put forward, I'm more than willing to consider them. Ta.

**AnnF: **I'm sorry if you did not find my last chapter up to par. Looking back, I agree that some of the premises I made are a bit dodgy but I don't think they are completely implausible. Neither the Quibbler nor Xenophilius Lovegood seemed a very reliable news source to me so I don't think that Harry not knowing who the new Minister was is such a bad premise. Frankly, I can picture Xenophilius not caring at all about who the present Minister is.

In regards to the Minister muscling his way onto the train, when I read HBP that was the kind of impression I got of his character: brash and forthright, so I wrote what I did with that in mind.

Hopefully this chapter will explain to you why Harry was acting so 'immature, irrational and bipolar' and I hope you accept my reasoning.

**ObsidianEsper: **I'm considering it but to be honest, you're the first person who's suggested such a thing and I've never had any complaints about my writing before in this fic. If that changes, I promise I'll get one.

**Everyone: **I still haven't decided on who I'm going to pair Harry with. Should I pair him up at all? Hmm… What do you guys think? Just so you know, Hermione and Ron are going to get together. That's all I've really decided upon for now. Sigh…

Well, that's all for now. Please remember to review, okay?

* * *

**Chapter 11: Dinner Drama**

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Potter?" Snape spluttered, the first one to break the heavy silence that had consumed the Hall.

"I'd have thought the answer would be obvious, sir" Harry replied, in a somewhat derisive tone. "Every other student is here so I'd assumed that my presence was expected here as well. It's not my fault that my friend wanted to come too," he concluded, gesturing towards the star thestral who had begun to sniff Snape's oily hair suspiciously.

"Call it off, Potter," Snape ordered, wearily backing away from the thestral's ministrations.

"I can't, Professor. I have no right to issue any command to an intelligent creature that can think and act for itself. It would be cruel to take such a right away, would it not?" Harry questioned, innocently.

Snape couldn't help but look away as he recognised the double meaning of the statement, causing Harry to smile somewhat bitterly.

"Now, Harry…" Dumbledore broke in.

"I would appreciate if you would address me more formally, Headmaster. After all, we are at school, sir. It would not do to be so casual."

"Fine then, Mr Potter," Dumbledore acquiesced with a frown. "I was just going to suggest that perhaps you and Professor Snape could continue your conversation afterwards, at a more appropriate time. We were halfway through the Sorting when you and your friend arrived. I don't think it would be fair to deprive your school mates of their dinners for any longer than we have to."

"You're right, Headmaster," Harry conceded. After giving the thestral a quick thank you pat, he gracefully jumped off the Staff table and made his way over to where McGonagall stood with the Sorting Hat in her hands.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you, Ma'am. Please proceed, " Harry apologised, bowing slightly in deference.

"Thank you, Mr Potter. I am glad to see you are doing well," she responded, her eyes softening slightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Ma'am. It's always good to know that someone cares," Harry stated casually, looking pointedly at Dumbledore.

With a last nod towards his Transfiguration Professor, Harry turned and made his way calmly towards the Gryffindor bench. He sat himself well away from Ron, Hermione and Ginny, placed between Neville and a small second year girl who squeaked when he smiled at her.

"Blimey, Harry," Neville whispered in awe as the Sorting began once more. "That was one hell of an entrance. How'd you get the thestral to do that?"

"I didn't do anything," Harry muttered back, keeping his voice soft so as not to draw attention to their conversation. "It just came to me and offered me a lift. Since I was running a bit late, I accepted its offer but I never suspected it would deliver me right into the Hall. I wonder if I'll get into trouble for this?"

"Who cares! I have no idea how you did it but whatever 'it' was that brought you here made for one bloody brilliant stunt!" Dean chipped in from where he was sitting across from Neville.

"Almost as good as the Weasely twins' exit last year," Seamus commented, prompting the four boys to chuckle fondly in remembrance of Umbridge's face last year.

"Hem hem," a soft voice coughed over the quiet Hall.

At the all too familiar sound, the four boys wrenched their attention to the staff table, half-afraid of what they'd find. To their immense relief (not that any of them would ever admit it aloud), none of them could spot the toad-faced woman. Instead, they found Dumbledore, blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he looked directly at Harry.

Harry met his gaze unwaveringly.

"You don't think he heard what we were discussing, do you?" Neville asked fearfully.

"Nah, we're too far away for him to have heard a thing. It has to be some sort of coincidence," Seamus reassured, sounding as if he were trying to convince himself as well as Neville.

Harry on the other hand, knew that it was no coincidence that Dumbledore had imitated Umbridge at that exact moment. The timing was much to perfect for it to be so.

"He's warning me," Harry thought with certainty. "This display of power on his part is a reminder that I am in a place where he holds the advantage. He's going to be watching every move I make," Harry deduced silently. "I'm going to have to act carefully whilst I'm here."

"Now that the Sorting is completed and I have all of your attention, I would like to introduce the newest member of our staff, Professor Slughorn" Dumbledore gestured to a rather large-bellied bald man who raised a stubby-fingered hand in greeting. "Professor Slughorn is an old colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. That said," Dumbledore continued, ignoring the confused mutterings of the students before him, "I am pleased to inform you that Professor Snape will be taking over the mantle of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."

A loud chorus of groans met this announcement but a dark glare from said Professor quickly quietened the crowd.

"Well that's about all we have in way of announcements apart from the usual things like stay out of the Forbidden Forest and no magic is to be used in the corridors. So, tuck in," Dumbledore smiled, his arms open in invitation.

As soon as the words had left the old man's lips, the tables groaned as large quantities of food magically appeared. Harry wasted no time in tucking into the delicious delicacies supplied by the house elves.

Conversations immediately began around the Hall, every single one of them focussing on Harry's entry into the Hall. Harry grinned as he noticed this. Frankly he wasn't too thrilled by the increased attention on him but if there was one thing he'd learned since coming to this school, it was that he would be the centre of attention no matter what he did. So, when the star thestral had brought him directly into the Great Hall, he had quickly decided to make the best of a bad situation. By arriving so dramatically, he'd effectively turned people's attention away from talks of him being the 'Chosen One'. It wasn't a long-term solution but it would cut him a bit of slack for a while. He had done a lot of thinking whilst staying over at Luna's house and had come up with several plans of action to tackle his latest year at Hogwarts. If he were to succeed in implementing these plans then he would need to control where people's attention was focused in regards to him. Thus, he would employ the so-called 'Slytherin' part of him that the Sorting Hat once insisted he had. It would take all his cunning but by the end of the year, he would hopefully be in complete control of his life without anyone realising fast enough to stop him. That was his ultimate goal.

Neville's abrupt laughter drew Harry back into the present.

"Snape doesn't look to pleased with you, Harry," Neville stated through a mouth of roast beef. Following the direction of his friend's gaze, Harry snickered as he saw that the star thestral was still present at the Staff table. Though the ruined plates had been magically repaired long ago, the thestral was so intent on continuing its investigation of Snape's dark locks that it refused to move, stopping both Snape and Dumbledore from partaking in the meal. All the other teachers were standing about unsurely, wanting to help but none of them knowing what to do. Hagrid was not present to deal with the creature and as some of them couldn't even see the beast, they just floundered around uselessly. The only one who was unaffected by the thestral's presence was McGonagall who sat to the right of the Headmaster, calmly sipping a cup of tea as she watched her peers amusedly.

The star thestral paid no mind to the chaos around it, preferring to focus its attention on sniffing the potion master's hair. It mustn't have like what it smelt for suddenly the thestral sneezed, much to Snape's disgust and the students' (the ones who could see the creature) amusement. After snorting loudly in Snape's general direction, the star thestral then launched itself back into the air and out the door.

Ignoring the dark glares being sent his way by the Slytherin Head of house, Harry went back to his food. For once, Harry actually enjoyed hearing people talking about something he had done. It was immensely entertaining listening to people speculate over just how Harry had arrived. As most people present hadn't been able to see the thestral, wild and somewhat stupid guesses were being tossed around. Some were insisting that he had ridden a disillusioned broomstick, others were claiming the Giant Squid had simply tossed him into the Hall because he had angered it. A lot of spells Harry had never heard of were mentioned by some of the more pompous Ravenclaws whilst an obviously muggle-born first year in Hufflepuff was drawing parallels between Harry and Superman.

Harry's enjoyment abruptly died as he noticed a few of the seventh year boys at the Ravenclaw table were mocking Luna as she told them that Harry had ridden on a thestral.

He knew that Luna's explanations usually involved fanciful creatures and generally didn't make much sense but that gave the Ravenclaw seniors no right to simply dismiss her words as stupid, especially in this case as she was right. Angered at the senseless bullying by the supposed 'smart' house's senior members, Harry stalked over to them. He had always hated bullies because of his upbringing at the Dursley's but he felt doubly angered that someone would do this to his blonde friend. She deserved better.

"Oi, Luna," Harry greeted stepping in front of her, purposely positioning his body to block the boys from her view. He could feel the anger of the boys rolling off them in waves as they realised that he was purposefully snubbing them. "Why don't you come sit with Neville and me?" Harry offered. "I'm sure you'd prefer to have some intelligent company."

The Ravenclaws around them bristled at the blatant insult.

"What the hell are you implying, Potter?" one of the more burlier Ravenclaw boys demanded.

"You lot are supposed to be the smart ones, right? Well how is bullying someone who speaks their mind an intelligent act? Your academic abilities will get you nowhere if you are too narrow minded to accept and consider someone else's ideas. You're practically dooming yourself."

"You're one to talk, Gryffindor. Your house is comprised of members who aren't even smart enough to tell their arses from their wands," came the sharp retort.

"A common misconception and I find it sad that you've obviously accepted the idea without question," Harry shook his head. "We Gryffindors aren't dumb or foolish, we simply think that going out and experiencing life for ourselves is much more important and fulfilling than reading about it in some old book."

Harry smiled as he saw that none of the seventh years could come up with a decent rebuttal.

"The good thing about Ravenclaws," Harry thought as he watched them, "is that if you beat them in a game of wits than they will actually sit back and think about what you've said. If I had done the same with some Slytherins, I would have been jinxed before I said two words."

"Good day, gentlemen," Harry nodded as he took Luna's hand and dragged her back to the Gryffindor table.

"That was a good debate, Harry," Luna acknowledged as she smiled at Neville in greeting. "You've improved."

"Living with two Ravenclaws can do that to you," Harry responded, thinking back to the fierce word and wit battles he had had with both Xenophilius and his daughter over the summer. "Very useful skill to have," he concluded happily, "and because I didn't end up having to exchange spells with them, I didn't draw the attention of everyone like what usually happens when I have an argument with someone."

All too soon dinner was over and Harry got up to leave the Hall. He made sure to stay as far away as possible from Hermione, Ron and Ginny, as he walked with his Housemates to the Gryffindor tower. Arriving well ahead of them, he swiftly made his way to the sixth year boy's dormitory waving to and greeting people as he went. As he was the first of the boys to arrive at the room, he grabbed the necessary gear and went into the bathroom. After removing his magically shrunken Firebolt from one of the pockets of his robes, he tossed the dirty clothes into the hamper for the house elves to wash for him before stepping into the shower. When he was done, he climbed into his pyjamas and left the bathroom. By now, the other boys were present each in various states of undress as they all prepared for bed. Calling out a general 'good night' he crawled into bed, steadfastly ignoring Ron's answering 'good night'.

Hidden by the heavy curtains that surrounded his bed, Harry whipped out his wand and cast a silencio charm on the curtains. It had become an everyday practice of his so as not to alert anyone if he had a nightmare.

Satisfied with his work, he then began his nightly Occlumency exercises, taking the time to properly sort out and organise his thoughts in his mind. With the aide of some of Xenophilius' books, he had found a few mental techniques, which had help to strengthen his Occlumency shields over the course of summer. Though they still had a lot of room for improvement, Harry felt they were at least strong enough to detect any Legilimency attacks from Snape or Dumbledore. It wasn't much but it was a start.

"This year will be different," he vowed silently as he felt sleep overwhelm him.

* * *

A/N: I'm kinda curious to find out just where people who are reading my fic are from. So when you push the little purple button below to review (c'mon, you know you want to…), please also include what country you're from. Cheers! 


	12. Chapter 12: Fractured Relations

**Ends and Means**

Greetings dear readers and welcome to the twelfth chapter of my humble attempt at fanfiction. Thanks to all the people who reviewed my last chapter. I was completely blown away when I received your replies to what country you came from. It never really hit me before how widespread my audience is. I'm proud to announce I have readers from Australia (where I am), America, England, Scotland, Israel, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Germany, France, Norway, Romania, New Zealand and Spain. Thanks to everyone. I was also a bit surprised to hear so many people asking about the star thestral. It'll be featuring again shortly so don't worry.

I've finally come to a decision in regards to pairings. At this stage in the fic, I've decided that Harry will not be pairing off with anyone. He may be in the future but for now, I think he's got enough on his plate without having to worry about love, lust, etc. I know this may be disappointing to a few of you who seem very set on Harry falling in love with one character or another but I want to focus mainly on the plot at this stage. I find that a lot of fanfics fall into the trap of centring the story around the protagonist finding and maintaining a relationship. Though there is nothing wrong with a love or lust story, usually the plot will suffer as a result. I'm trying to avoid this. So for the time being, bare with me. I want to get the story started before I attempt any romance.

Lastly, I just want to make a general observation. Has anyone else noticed their view/idea of the Harry Potter story and characters change ever since they've started reading fanfiction? It's really odd. I'm starting to mix up events and relationships from fanfics I've read with the canon. Also, my opinion on certain characters has changed. When I was reading the books, I didn't really feel one way or another about Dumbledore's actions or the fact that Harry got together with Ginny. Now I'm inclined to view Dumbledore as a manipulative, old coot and don't like the HarryxGinny pairing at all. I also used to think that the Deathly Hallows was a well thought out and good end to the HP series. Now, I don't nearly think as highly of it. _Sigh_. It just goes to show how easily others sway my opinion. How sad it that?

**Replies to Reviews:**

**nile-reina: **I glad you seem to be getting into my story. I plan to deal with Remus soon. Don't worry, Remus will fight to win back his cub. In regards to your question about Harry, they'll be answered in due time so please stick around.

**Ariel Senrayes: **Dou itashimashite.

**Norwegian MoonShadow: **Yeah, your name kinda gave away your nationality. Lol. Sorry but for the time being, Harry is gonna remain loveless. Don't lose hope though. You never know what'll happen next.

**Crazy Huni: **Thanks for the praise. I know this has nothing to do with my fic but I went to New Zealand in a school music tour in 2006 and I gotta say that I loved it. Do you happen to know the name of the mountain on the North Island with the Chatteau at its base, which was one of the ones filmed in LOTR? I went skiing on the bunny slopes there and can't for the life of me recall its name. Any ideas?

**quacked Lurker (anon):** Thanks for your review. It's nice to hear someone praising my writing style as well as my ideas for the story. I appreciate it.

**MagicallyInclined: **Though I may continue following the events of HBP, I don't intend to include the horcruxes in this fic. Consequently, Dumbledore's hand isn't damaged. I completely forgot about Snape's unbreakable vow to Narcissa, so no, it didn't happen in this fic.

**The French Dark Lord: **Well, my most faithful reader, thank you for your review. You're always a pleasure to hear from and I'm glad you're enjoying my story. Hopefully you like this chapter too.

**Robin (anon): **I'm glad you're enjoying it. I can't answer all your questions lest I spoil the plot but I just want to point out that Harry doesn't have creature blood. This idea was already ruled out in chapter 8. Thus, brewing an ancestry potion would achieve nothing. For the time being, Harry's wings are a mystery that no has cracked yet. I wonder if anyone will work it out before I reveal the truth…? Good luck.

**Aytheria: **I agree in that it does feel like the story has just begun and is not already into its 12th chapter. I'm starting to wonder how long this fic is gonna be. I plan make it span at least all of Harry's 6th year but I have no idea how many chapters that will be. Ahh… such a daunting task!

**ObsidianEsper: **Once again, thanks for the apology.

**

* * *

Chapter 12: Fractured Relations**

"Mr Potter, what are you doing outside at this time in the morning!?"

With an audible sigh, Harry turned his gaze towards the approaching form of Professor McGonagall.

"I'm not really doing anything, Professor," he replied, his bare feet dangling in the cool water of the lake. "Just thinking," he admitted, before turning his gaze back to where the Giant Squid was floating lazily in the water, soaking up the early morning light and warmth.

"It's barely past dawn, Mr Potter, you should still be in your dormitory asleep like everyone else is, not gallivanting around outside."

"I couldn't sleep," Harry shrugged, truthfully.

"Nightmares?" McGonagall hazarded a guess, scrutinising Harry carefully.

Harry nodded his head slightly in response. Conjuring a chair, McGonagall sat down beside the silent teen and joined him in watching the Giant Squid's antics.

"You do know that I am here if you need to talk about anything, right?" McGonagall inquired gently, after a brief stretch of silence.

"I know and I'm grateful for it but you don't need to worry about me. I've been having nightmares for a long time now. I know how to deal with them."

Pushing aside her initial alarm at this confession, the Transfiguration Professor forced her mind back to the issue at hand.

"If that is so then may I ask why you are out here? This is the first time I've ever caught you outside this early. Was it a worse than usual nightmare or was this simply the first time someone's managed to catch you?" McGonagall questioned, wanting answers but knowing not to force the issue.

"Neither," Harry answered firmly. My dreams are usually pretty intense so I can't really imagine them getting eve any worse and don't worry, this is honestly the first time I've snuck outside after having one."

"If that's the case then what made this time different?"

"Well, usually if I have a nightmare, I'll just lie awake in bed or read a book or something until it's time to get ready for class but it seems I can't even do that any more," Harry answered, a faintly bitter tone entering his voice.

"Why not?" McGonagall asked, thoroughly confused and a bit annoyed at herself for never realising one of her Gryffindors was a budding insomniac.

"Ever since my memory block was shattered, my magic has not only become a lot stronger but I've also developed a few interesting abilities."

"Like those wings? Can I ask what happened to them?" McGonagall couldn't help but blurt out. She instantly knew she'd said the wrong thing as Harry's face closed up and his brow furrowed. It was obviously a very sore topic for the boy and had she been anyone else, she would have hit herself for such a slip up. However, as she was a rather proud and dignified pureblood lady, she refrained from such childish behaviour and instead gestured for Harry to continue his explanation.

"As I was saying," his expression guarded, "one such ability I seemed to have gained allows me to literally see magic. You're a powerful witch so you should be able to feel how intensely magical Hogwarts is. Try to imagine what Hogwarts would look like if you could see its magic."

Seeing her befuddled expression, Harry smiled. "It's incredibly bright, almost as if you were looking directly at the sun. It's rather painful to look at, especially if your head's pounding from your latest nightmare. So I came out here," Harry continued, gesturing to the lake and trees surrounding them. "Out here, there is hardly any magic at all. It's only out here where I'm completely submerged in nature that I can look around without either straining my eyes or resorting to wearing my sunglasses."

"I was wondering why you were wearing those shades last night. I'm sorry, Mr Potter. It seems my advice for you to go through with the memory block removal has resulted in you suffering again."

"Don't blame yourself, Professor. I trust your judgement above anyone else's because I know that you, unlike others, will ultimately let me make up my own mind rather than force your opinion upon me. So there's no need for you to apologise. I made the choice in the end and I will make the best of the situation I'm now in."

"A very mature approach," McGonagall approved, standing up and banishing her chair.

Harry shrugged and stood up as well, putting on his shades and as he did so.

"I never considered myself to be a child," he confessed as he followed her back towards Hogwarts for breakfast.

* * *

"Woah!" Harry couldn't help but exclaim as he entered the Great Hall. As it was past 7 o'clock he had expected that some people would be here but under no stretches of his imagination had he ever thought to see the Ravenclaw table completely filled with noisy students.

"Are you really that surprised, Mr Potter?" McGonagall chuckled wryly, noticing his shocked demeanour. "Just because Gryffindors are generally late risers doesn't mean that everyone else has to be."

"Do they do this everyday?" Harry asked, as he they entered the Hall.

"Yes. Usually all the Ravenclaws are down here by 7 o'clock. It allows them time to not only get in a decent breakfast but also to test and expand their knowledge in different fields," she replied whilst walking briskly in the direction of the staff table. Harry quickly shook himself out of his stupor and took off after her.

"What do you mean?" he interrogated. Seeing that he wouldn't leave her alone until he got his answers, McGonagall stopped and patiently began to explain.

"Every morning a debate is held on a topic chosen at the end of the previous day's debate. Topics can range from magical theory to the Muggle sciences to the existence of God. You name it they've discussed it."

"Really?" Harry wondered aloud in amazement. "I never knew that."

"I doubt many Gryffindors do."

"What about the other houses? Do they do anything like this?"

"If it's a particularly interesting or important topic, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins have been known to join the Ravenclaws in their debates but they've never held their own before, I don't think."

"I see. Does anything else happen at breakfast that I don't know about?"

"Not really. The Hufflepuffs are usually next out of bed. The younger years will come down to the Hall together, usually around 7:20 whilst the older grades help Professor Sprout out in the greenhouses before making their way over."

"And the Slytherins?"

"Operate under a very unique system."

"What?"

"Have you never noticed that by the time any Gryffindors are in the Hall for breakfast only half the Slytherins are present?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"It's because Slytherins have a specific roster when it comes to breakfast. Half of them eat breakfast between 7:30 and 8 whilst the rest eat between 8 and 8:30. They then switch times the following day."

"But why?"

"Because, Mr Potter, Gryffindors are loud, obnoxious and a terror to share a meal with," Snape answered curtly, causing Harry to jump in surprise at his unexpected intrusion in the conversation.

"Now Severus, no need to be rude. Mr Potter was simply asking a question," McGonagall frowned, at the dark-haired man.

"I'm afraid I still don't understand, Professor. What do we Gryffindors have to do with the Slytherins' breakfast roster," Harry queried, his eyes narrowed at Snape.

"You Gryffindors really are dim-witted in the mornings, aren't you?" Snape sneered. "Think about it, Potter. Even you should realise that there's a rather fierce rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor and though we find eating with such barbarians as you lot a trying task, if none of us were to eat alongside you then we would no doubt lose face. Thus, the roster was set up. Half of Slytherin eats before you fools enter the Hall, the other half suffers through your company. The two halves then switch times each day in order to allow the people who had the 8-8:30 timeslot to enjoy a Gryffindor-free breakfast so that they may recover from the experience and be ready to eat with you the next morning. It is a set-up that's been going on for decades. Now if you don't mind, you are blocking the path to the staff table," he concluded, before pushing Harry roughly aside and stalking towards the aforementioned destination.

"Hmm… seems I'm not the only one feeling guilty over the memory block incident," McGonagall mused, her gaze lingering Snape.

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked, generally curious. To him, Snape was just being his usual insulting, prat-like self.

"As much as I hate it, the fact remains that you've been on the receiving end of Severus' hatred for five years now. So I ask you, Harry, when was the last time he fully explained something to you before?"

Seeing the dawning look of realisation spread across his features, she smiled.

"Sometimes it's the little things that give us away. Enjoy your breakfast, Mr Potter."

* * *

Entering the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom alongside Neville, Harry had to physically restrain the sigh of annoyance that wanted to force its way from his throat. It seemed his bad luck had struck again. He had just spent the majority of breakfast emotionally confused about McGonagall's observation of Snape and as he dearly wished to avoid the man until he worked through his turmoil, it was only natural that his first class of the year would be taught by said individual. To top it all off, it seemed that DADA was once more going to be held with the Slytherins.

"Hurry up and sit down," Snape snapped as he entered the room with his trademark bat-like twirl of his cloak. "Firstly a warning," he began, his eyes focused solely on the Gryffindor side of the room, "NEWT level DADA will be much more difficult and dangerous than anything that you are used to. Though some of you managed to scrape through your OWL on luck alone, don't expect to be able to do the same now. I expect you all to work diligently and to the best of your ability otherwise I will have no qualms in failing you and kicking you out of class. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the class murmured obediently. Snape glared at the Gryffindors for a minute before his gaze zeroed in on Harry.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," he abruptly declared.

"What? Why?" Ron yelled from where he sat with Hermione two desks behind Harry. So far, they had abided by Harry's wish to be away from them for a while but Harry doubted it would last long.

"For Mr Potter's complete disregard for the school dress code," Snape explained. "I don't care if you are the 'Chosen One', Potter. Take those shades off this instant."

Harry's earlier emotional confusion, which McGonagall's observation had spurred, quickly evaporated as his familiar deep-seated anger for the man resurfaced.

"There's no rule that says I cannot wear sunglasses, sir" Harry argued, his voice cold.

"I don't care, Mr Potter. You are in my classroom and my word is law. Now take them off!"

"No," came Harry's firm reply, his folded arms emphasising his resolve.

With a growl and a furious wave of his wand, the angered professor silently vanished the shades, leaving only Harry's regular glasses. Instantly, the sharp, intense light of the magic around him assaulted Harry's eyes, making it impossible for him to see. Shutting his eyes in order to cope with the onslaught of light, Harry felt his magic rise around him as his temper grew. The room grew warmer as Harry's magic floated heavily around him, almost like a haze.

"Mr Potter, if you're going to be a child and sulk with your eyes shut all lesson then get out!" Snape ordered, harshly.

Pissed off by both Snape's actions and words, Harry unthinkingly snapped open his eyes and glared daggers at him. A second later, it suddenly hit him that bright lights and colours weren't blinding him any more. He could tell that Hogwarts' magic was still definitely present but he could no longer see it. Ignoring Snape's continuing tirade, he tried to reason out why.

"Did my ability just vanish? Have I finally gotten used to seeing magic? What happened?" he silently asked the universe.

Looking carefully around the classroom, he noticed that though he could see everything and everyone clearly, the air shimmered ever so slightly, as if he were looking through mist. Wishing the slight blurriness the mist caused to his vision would go away, he was shocked to find it doing exactly what he wanted. He was even more surprised when he realised that as the haze began to recede, the colours and light exuded by the magical school began to rematerialise, becoming more intense as the strength of the mist waned.

"This is my magic," Harry finally comprehended in his mind. "The haze is my magic and by controlling its strength, I can regulate how clearly I can envision the magic around me."

Amazed by this latest discovery, Harry didn't notice that Snape, who was fed up by with Harry ignoring him, had begun to make his way over to the ignorant teen.

"MR POTTER," the irate professor yelled into Harry's face, effectively knocking Harry back into reality. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for sheer rudeness! You will also have detention with me for the next fortnight!"

"Ooh, I'm shaking" Harry drawled, reciprocating Snape's hatred. The man may have just inadvertently helped Harry find a way to deal with one of his problems but there was no way in hell that that made up for anything that Snape had subjected him to over the years.

His sallow skin taking on a puce-colour reminiscent of Vernon Dursley, Snape grabbed Harry's arm in a bruising grip and pulled him to his feet.

"Mr Malfoy, you're in charge of the class. You are to read chapter one of your textbook and practise the spells mentioned. You will be performing them next lesson, no excuses," Snape addressed the class before turning to glower at Harry. "You, Mr Potter, will be accompanying me to the Headmaster's office."

"There are nicer ways to ask me out, you know," Harry pointed out, smirking as Snape's scowl deepened and his pace quickened.

* * *

"Well, Mr Potter," Dumbledore began when Snape and Harry arrived in his office," I was hoping to talk to you soon but I didn't think it would be under such circumstances, especially this early in the term."

Harry didn't say anything in response. He too was a bit surprised that he would have to have this confrontation with the Headmaster so soon. He had been hoping to put it off for as long as possible but it seemed like once more, his bad luck had stepped in. He wasn't particularly worried though. His stronger Occlumency would allow him to know if the old man was trying to read his mind and he had a feeling that his ability to see magic would also be able to help in that department.

"Hmm… maybe I could learn to stop Legilimency attacks with my magic just like I can block out seeing magic?" he silently mused as he and Snape were ushered into chairs. "Something to work on next time a nightmare wakes me up, I guess."

"Now, may I ask what happened?" Dumbledore inquired, gesturing for Snape to start.

"Potter directly disobeyed an order, blatantly ignored me when I was speaking to him and exhibited other rude and insolent behaviour when he didn't get his way," Snape summarised with a snarl. "I want him out of my class, Albus. The boy is nothing but a nuisance and impediment to his peers and I will not have their hard work adversely affected by his presence and attitude in class."

"Is there anything you'd like to say, Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked Harry.

Ignoring the Headmaster's obvious attempts to catch his gaze, Harry replied, "I simply acted in the same manner as Snape treats me. I don't see why I should be the only one punished for it if such behaviour offends you."

"Severus is a professor, Mt Potter. He should be accorded with due respect," Dumbledore answered with a frown.

"And the student isn't entitled to any? Seems a poor way to run a school, if you ask me."

"Of course the student is entitled to respect. I'm sure Professor Snape simply acted as best he could in difficult circumstances."

"I assure you I did the same. So I ask you again, why am I the only one to be punished?" Harry queried, one eyebrow raised in challenge.

Raising a hand to stave off Snape's angry response, Dumbledore regarded Harry.

"Mr Potter, I admit that I had no authority to try to keep you in Grimmauld Place this past holidays save for having your best intentions at heart. However, you are at Hogwarts now and thus, are required to adhere to my authority. I will not play these little games with you. At this stage, I will allow you to remain in class but everything else that Professor Snape has decided in way of punishment will stand and I expect you conduct yourself more accordingly from this moment forth. Now, before you are dismissed, I must insist that you to tell me where you were this summer and what happened to your wings. I know that you are angry with me but I need to know for the sake of the greater good."

A deep sense of cold anger settled over Harry upon hearing these words and consequently, his reply held as much warmth as an artic wind.

"You are nothing to me but my Headmaster. You have no right to demand such personal information from me. Good day, professors" he stated steadily before standing up and leaving the office.

* * *

A/N: Hooray, another chapter complete! You'll be glad to know that I've actually planned out what's going to happen in the next chapter. Grins evilly. I'm going to enjoy writing this one. So yes, please review. It'll be greatly appreciated and may even spur me to update faster. Today's getting to know my reader's question is… How old are you? 


	13. Chapter 13: An Offer of Forgiveness

**Ends and Means**

Hey everybody. Now before you all shoot me for taking so long to update, please consider that this is the longest chapter I've written yet, close to 5000 words. So yes, please go easy on me. Cheers to everyone who reviewed or has been following the story thus far. The feedback I've gotten has been greatly encouraging and I hope it continues. Bye for now!

**Replies to Reviews:**

**cayhleenlovestowrite:** I'm glad you liked the last chapter. In regards to Harry and Snape, the next chapter should hopefully reveal which direction their relationship is headed. 

**Hermy-78:** Thank you for reminding me about Ravenclaw's diadem. I had forgotten it completely. At the moment I'm trying to think of a way to fit it into the plot. Wish me luck! 

**Norwedgion MoonShadow:** It's become difficult for me to associate canon draco and fanfic harry as well. Sigh… I hope he's not being too OOC in this fic. You're right though. Tonks Lupin sounds really odd. 

**saphiresnowlady:** Sorry but I needed to get that rant off my chest. 

**Tsurai no Shi:** I'm glad you liked my information about the other houses' breakfast activities. I can't see why people haven't come up with new stuff like this before? I think the other houses are kinda underrated in both the canon and fanfics in general. 

**dave-gerecke:** Lol. I can relate to that sentiment. 

To everyone asking about Harry's wings, look forward to the next chapter: Halloween. **

* * *

Chapter 13: An Offer of Forgiveness and a Statement of Defiance**

Sweat streaked down his forehead as Harry carefully added shredded mullein roots to the bubbling contents of his recently acquired silver cauldron. With steady hand movements, he then proceeded to stir thrice clockwise and once anti-clockwise. That done, he lowered the temperature of the fire and allowed the potion to simmer for precisely thirty seconds before he added two drops of phoenix tears and several hairs of a female werewolf. He allowed the potion to sit for a minute as he mentally readied himself for the next part of the procedure. This was the most difficult step in brewing the _Moon Stealth_ potion, as the timing had to be absolutely perfect lest the potion be ruined. A drop of lavender oil had to be dropped into the cauldron every three seconds whilst at the same time, adding a leaf of comfrey every five seconds. This had to be done until the potion turn a dark silvery grey, which would indicate a successful brewing.

As the clock struck midnight, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he ladled the completed potion into a cup and drank it; silently toasting the full moon that he knew lit up the night sky outside. Though this was the third time he had consumed the _Moon Stealth_ potion, he had still not gotten used to the strange sensation and taste of the brew or rather the lack of. It was a highly disconcerting experience to drink something that tasted and felt like nothing. The first time Harry had ingested the _Moon Stealth_, he had to look to make sure that the beaker he had drunk from really was empty of any substance before he could convince himself that he had drunk it at all.

Satisfied that he was finished for the night, Harry began to gather up his potion making ingredients, placing them inside his mokeskin bag. He was extra careful when packing away the bottle of phoenix tears and his small bag of werewolf fur. Both were extremely rare and expensive items and he needed to make sure he didn't accidentally lose them or waste them as it would be a few months until the next time Xenophilius would send Harry more ingredients.

Due to the value of the two items, both Harry and Xenophilius wanted to only buy them when absolutely necessary. It would not do for either to be seen regularly purchasing them as Harry was only a student and thus shouldn't have a need for them and Xenophilius, though well off, had nowhere near enough money for people to believe he could afford to buy either ingredient. So the two of them had decided the safest way to obtain the required goods would be for Xenophilius to buy enough for four full moon's worth of potion at a time, Harry of course, funding the activity. Harry's first owl load of ingredients had happened just this morning; everything carefully wrapped and sealed as to avoid anyone discovering just what Harry was receiving.

The face of the grandfather clock in the far end of the room read a quarter past twelve when Harry was finally ready to leave. Walking around the potions making platform and benches that had been provided for him began to head towards the door. He undid the complex locking charm he had placed on it earlier and turned back one more time to double check that he had not left anything behind. The room was large and well lit with air circulation spells constantly fanning the room, perfect for a potions laboratory. The only non-potions related features in the room was the handsome grandfather clock and the beautiful, black marble floor, which when the light hit it, reflected back the different stages of the moon's waxing and waning. Leaving the room, Harry couldn't help but bless the day he had discovered the Room of Requirement.

* * *

"So Harry, have you made any more progress on the _plan_" Neville laughed, stressing the word in a mock scary voice. 

Chuckling at his friend's antics, Harry swallowed a mouthful of steak and kidney pie before replying.

"Actually, I have. I was going to run some ideas by you and Luna later tonight."

"Awesome!" Neville cheered, tucking into a large slice of apple crumble. "I've been waiting years for this to happen."

"I never realised you were so vengeful, Nev" Harry responded.

"This isn't revenge, it's justice" Neville proclaimed, sounding matter-of-fact.

"Well, whatever helps you sleep at night…" was Harry's reply as he finished his meal with relish. "Look, I'm going to go and tell Luna about tonight and then I have a few things to take care of. If I don't see you before then, meet me in the Room at eight o'clock."

"Right, see you then, mate," Neville answered before turning and asking the seventh year next to him to stop hogging all the pastries.

"He really has come out of his shell," Harry mused to himself as he walked towards his favourite blonde Ravenclaw. "I'm glad some good came from… that night."

Silently berating himself for bringing up those unpleasant memories, he plopped down into the spare seat next to Luna.

"Hello, Harry," she greeted him, without looking up from her scrutiny of the white feather he had gifted her with.

"How long do you plan on studying that? Every time I run into you you're staring at it. What's so fascinating about it? It's looks just like an ordinary feather to me," he stated exasperatedly.

Finally deigning to look at him, Luna replied, "An ordinary feather doesn't exude heat. Thus, it is not ordinary."

"Ah… you're no fun. You're in 'research more' at the moment, aren't you?" Harry accused.

He had come up with the term 'research mode' when he had spent time with the Lovegoods over summer. Both father and daughter had a tendency when they found something interesting to focus solely on whatever project they were pursuing, losing sight of everything else. The key signifiers of 'research mode' were unresponsiveness or in the odd chance that they did respond to you, they spoke in short, logical sentences. If pushed too hard for a response or continued responses when in this state, the person bugging them would be convinced to leave them alone through the liberal use of threats, insults and other methods of conveying their animosity towards your presence. Hence, in order to survive the summer, Harry had been forced to develop a keen sense of when someone was in 'research mode.' (He was a bit surprised that he hadn't developed this sense earlier after so many years around Hermione but he supposed he wasn't mature enough back then.) For the record though, Harry had not yet pushed Luna far enough to be subjected to her wrath but if his experience with Xenophilius was anything to go by, he did not want to be with a ten-kilometre radius when she finally did blow.

As Luna wasn't even bothering to pay attention to him any more, Harry got up with a sigh.

"Meet me in the Room at eight, okay? I want to run some ideas by Neville and you," Harry told her.

Taking Luna's slight nod of the head to be confirmation that she had heard and comprehended what he had said, Harry left the Great Hall and headed towards his next destination: Hagrids's.

He had intended to talk to the half giant as soon as he got to Hogwarts but Hagrid had been away on some trip. The official story was that he had gone off on a quest to obtain new creatures for his Care of Magical Creatures class but Harry suspected that that was just a ruse for another Order mission. Hagrid had arrived back at school this morning but due to his classes, Harry hadn't been able to find time for a visit until now.

Reaching the quaint, stone building that was Hagrid's hut; Harry knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to open. He didn't have to wait long before the door burst open and he was greeted with a loud "Harry!" and engulfed in a rib-breaking embrace.

"It's nice to see you too," Harry smiled warmly, taking in his friend's appearance. To his great joy, Hagrid looked hale and hearty with no obvious signs of injury.

"Come in, come in," Hagrid called, gesturing wildly for Harry to enter. "The others were just 'bout to tell me what's bin happenin' round here lately."

"Others?" Harry questioned, peering around Hagrid with a faint feeling of trepidation.

"Just my luck," Harry cursed internally on spotting Ron, Hermione and Ginny already seated around Hagrid's table.

"What are yeh waitin' for?" Hagrid asked, pulling up a chair for himself.

After a brief debate in his head about what he should do, Harry let out a soft breath and went and sat in the remaining spare chair between Hagrid and Ginny. He didn't feel at all comfortable in the present situation but he would tolerate their company simply because it meant he could spend some time with Hagrid. He had really missed his first friend in the Wizarding world lately as he knew for a fact that Hagrid had no ulterior motives when it came being Harry's friend and loved him for who he was and not just because of some stupid prophecy.

"So where have you been, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, her tone slightly strained.

"Oh, here and there," Hagrid evaded. "Order business, yeh know? I'm not s'pposed to speak of it, even to yeh lot in case someone else overhears."

"Oh, never mind then," Hermione replied. A brief awkward silence passed before Harry decided to make an effort and try for a civil conversation.

"What plans have you got for Care of Magical Creatures this year, Hagrid?" Harry questioned, feeling genuinely curious. Originally he hadn't been planning to take the class but after the whole 'wing' incident, he figured it would be a good idea. He was also taking Transfiguration, Charms, Defence against the Dark Arts, Herbology and surprisingly Potions as well. It had turned out that Slughorn accepted students who got an Exceeds Expectations into his class, allowing Harry to continue his study in that area.

"I knew I could rely on yeh to continue, Harry. Are yeh lot still taking my class?" Hagrid addressed the others.

"Ginny is but Mione and I aren't. Sorry Hagrid but we've both got a bit too much on our plates already to take your class as well," Ron apologised, looking almost afraid of the groundkeeper's reaction.

"Ah, it's all righ'. Don't yeh two worry 'bout it." Hagrid brushed off. "Yeh gonna be missin' some interestin' lessons though. I've managed to get my hands on some really fascinating creatures for the class this year."

"I can't wait," Harry responded, his grin hiding his slight worry over just what dangerous creatures Hagrid had managed to procure.

"So anyway, 'nough abou' classes, how have yeh lot bin? Had a nice summer?" Hagrid queried, completely oblivious to the undercurrent of tension that swirled through the room.

"Not really but I did learn a lot," Harry couldn't help but state, looking pointedly at his once friends. The look of accusation and bitterness Harry sent their way was apparently too much for Hermione, who promptly burst into tears.

Harry sighed, realising he had just managed to ruin the charade of civility they had put on for Hagrid's sake.

"What's goin' on? Hermione?" Hagrid asked, confusion marring his facial features as he watched Ron try to comfort the distraught brunette.

"I'm afraid you haven't caught us at the best time, Hagrid. We've not exactly been getting along recently. I think I may take my leave for tonight. I'll try to pop around again soon. Bye," Harry muttered, getting up from the table and heading towards the front door.

"Wait, Harry" Hagrid called after him but Harry just gave him a small, sad smile before slipping out the door.

Harry had already travelled a decent way up the lawn towards the school before he heard Hagrid's door slam open and hurried footsteps approach him. He didn't bother acknowledging the presence as he was currently cursing the fact that he'd forgotten to ask Hagrid about the star thestral. He was brought back to reality when Ginny raced in front of him, blocking his path.

"Stop, Harry. Please won't you just let me talk to you for a minute?" she asked, finally breaking the silence she had maintained since he'd arrived at Hagrid's hut.

"Why should I talk to you?" Harry queried, not breaking his quick stride. Ginny was forced to jog backwards in an attempt to continue speaking to him.

"Look, I know that what I did on the train was a really nasty thing to do to you. I regret ever letting Dumbledore talk me into it and that your being angry with me is deserved," Ginny panted.

"So you think I should just forgive you because you regret it?" Harry interrogated, incensed.

"No, you're missing the point, Harry," Ginny exclaimed.

"Then what is the point?"

"I know why you're angry with me but Ron and Hermione don't. Neither do my father or Remus for that matter. None of them have the slightest clue why you are being so hostile towards them, towards all of us. Why do you insist that we betrayed you?"

"I already told you," Harry ground out. "You were all so happy when you learnt that I had repressed powers. You were all so excited that the likelihood of me being able to defeat Voldemort had improved."

"Well, of course we'd be happy, Harry. You-Know-Who has been terrorising the world for decades so of course we'd be glad to know that it is possible for him to be defeated…"

"You don't get it, do you?" Harry broke in angrily. "Do you know how much it hurt to see everyone smile when they found out I had a memory so bad that I would unknowingly suppress it along with my magic? Do you know how lousy I felt when Dumbledore uncaringly stated that up until now I hadn't been good enough to live up to the loathed title that everyone judges me by? Do you know how shit I felt when everyone agreed with him, not even realising that what they had said hurt me? To them I am just a weapon, born simply to kill a madman…" Harry broke off, his grief overwhelming his rage.

Ginny had tears streaking down her face by the end of his spiel.

"They don't, Harry" she cried, shaking her head. "No one sees you as just a weapon."

Seeing Harry was unconvinced, she continued. "Please Harry, you can't really believe that. The reason why everyone was so happy was not simply because it means you're more likely to destroy You-Know-Who but also because it meant that you'll have a greater chance to fight him and survive. Don't you get it? We were happy because there's a less chance that we'd lose you in this war!" Ginny pleaded.

Harry paused in his walking, stunned by Ginny's words. He had never even considered that that was the reason for everyone's joy at the declaration over Harry's repressed memories and magic but as much as he ached for those words to be true, he couldn't bring himself to believe her. Too many years of the Dursleys belittling him made him cynical of such sentiment being shown towards him. Too many years of experiencing tragic and painful situations cautioned him against accepting her words. Too much anger and bitterness at the thought of the manipulations and lies that had and still did govern his life stopped him from trusting too easily.

"Prove it," he whispered to Ginny. Seeing her startled expression, he spoke louder. "If that really is the truth than prove it. I can't bring myself to forgive you guys but the least I can do is give you a chance to prove yourselves. This offer stands for any that want my friendship back. Prove that you don't see me as just a weapon and I'll forgive you. Betray me again and expect retribution. Good night, Ginny."

That said, Harry continued up the path and into the castle, leaving Ginny alone under the stars.

"Good night, Harry," she whispered even though he was long out of hearing range.

* * *

"Damn!" Harry cursed as he sped up towards the seventh floor. His talks with Hagrid and Ginny had taken longer then he had anticipated. It was now five past eight, meaning he was late for his meeting Luna and Neville. 

He raced through the corridors, using secret passages to make the trip quicker, scaring the occasional student when he burst out of random paintings or behind statues unexpectedly.

Four minutes of running and twenty points from Gryffindor later, Harry entered the Room of Requirement and panted a greeting at his friends.

Apparently Luna had been the first to reach the Room as it had taken the form of the library at Luna's house, complete in detail down to the watercolour paintings of non-existent creatures Luna had painted when she was six, which lined the walls.

"Hey, Harry," Neville waved, breaking away from his scrutiny of one of the pot plants that decorated the room. On spotting Harry, Luna carefully placed the feather back in her bag and turned to face him.

"So what did you come up with?" Neville began questioning Harry without preamble.

"I've come up with a few pranks we could pull but I want to make sure that only Dumbledore and Snape are affected. I don't want to cause inconvenience to any of the other teachers or students since they've done nothing wrong. So one prank for Snape, one for Dumbledore," Harry answered, hesitantly.

Despite Neville's enthusiasm over the idea, Harry was beginning to have second doubts about whether or not this was the best course of action to undertake. He had first come to the idea of revenge on Snape and Dumbledore after the incident on the first day back to school. He had been extremely annoyed with both professors and had decided that he wanted to vent a little of his frustration on them. This led to a dilemma however. Harry knew that there was very little chance of Harry ever getting expelled from the school simply because Dumbledore would want to keep an eye on him and his attendance at Hogwarts allowed the old man to do this. On the other hand though, if he acted to brashly and recklessly, Dumbledore as well as the other teachers, would have no hesitation in assigning him detentions for the rest of the year. He couldn't allow that to happen, as he needed freedom of movement this year above anything else so the only logical course of action he could think of was pranking.

If he did become a prankster then he could quench his thirst for vengeance as well as allow him some control over the gossip mill of the school. The other upside to the plan was that if he did get caught then the teachers would simply believe he was following the same path his father and his friends, as well as the Weasely twins, had. Hopefully their assumption would make them much more lenient when punishing him.

The down side to this plan was that he'd have to fit another thing into his already full schedule. He already had to deal with classes, brewing the Moon Stealth, being the Quidditch captain (McGonagall had told of this promotion when he received his schedule on the first day), his own research into his new powers, his plan to continue the DA and his business in the war and with the Order. Fortunately, Luna and Neville had agreed to help him with his pranks. Neville was particularly keen to get revenge against Snape, as the man had been horrible to him since day one.

Seeing said keenness, Harry banished his indecision.

"To Hell, with it," he thought, allowing Neville's excitement spurring his own. With a smirk, Harry began to share his ideas.

"The first idea I have involves the Quibbler…"

* * *

It was a full fortnight before the three teens were able to pull off their first ever prank. Though they were all exhausted from the hours they had spent looking up and casting the appropriate spells, as well as the effort in getting the word out to the appropriate people; they were not disappointed by how the day progressed. 

The students and staff of Hogwarts awoke to find the castle absolutely spotless. The suits of armour shined, the floors were scrubbed free of any offending stains, the dungeons were all aired and lit up and the grounds were completely immaculate. Many a student or teacher paused briefly at the sight of the cleanliness of the castle but foolishly brushed it off, thinking that the house elves had made a particularly good effort the previous night. Thus breakfast in the Great Hall passed completely normally.

It was the third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who were heading out to Care of Magical Creatures early that first noticed the unusual additions to the castle. One of the Hufflepuffs, a small lad named Lysander Fides, managed to trip over a random root and in order to keep from face planting, had dropped his docile copy of the Monster Book of Monsters.. As he bent to retrieve it, he spied a flash of pink out of the corner of his eyes. Turning to investigate, he gasped as he took in the sight before him. Situated on the far left and far right towers were two large and sparkling pink bows. Running between the two bows was a larger banner, which seemed to wave gleefully in the wind.

"Welcome to the Hogwarts Open Day!" Lysander read, loud enough for his classmates to hear. Being a pureblood, he didn't get it. "What's an 'open day'?" he questioned aloud.

Looking to see what had caused the boy to ask such a question, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were shocked to see Hogwarts new outdoor decor.

"They're selling the school?" one of the muggleborn Ravenclaws queried in shock whilst the other muggleborn or muggle-raised students began to murmur amongst themselves.

"What?" Lysander asked, voicing the question on every pure of halfbloods' lips.

"An open day is something you do in the Muggle world if you want to sell your house or a building. Basically, it's a day in which anyone who has an interest in buying the place can come in and take a look around," someone answered, prompting a lot of discussion amongst the third years.

"Look, here they come!" Lysander pointed out the trail of eager looking people who were marching up the path from the gates of the school to the entrance.

"What do we do?" one of the girls asked, looking upset at the idea of the school being for sale.

"Dumbledore!" Lysander uttered. "Let's go ask Dumbledore if it's really true."

"But we know it is, otherwise why would there be a banner or those people coming?" a nasal-voiced Ravenclaw asked with obvious asperity.

"Well, personally I want to see what the Headmaster has to say for himself. Plus, since none of us knew, we can only assume that none of the other students knew either. We should inform them before that lot of visitors gets here," Lysander declared, leading the way back towards the school at a run.

* * *

Like everyone else, Dumbledore had assumed the new clean state of the school was the house elves' work but rather than disregarding the feat, he hoped that this new spotless Hogwarts was an omen that things would be picking up from now on. The last few weeks had been horrendous, as Dumbledore had to deal with the school, the Ministry, the Order and most importantly, with Harry. He knew he had botched up his relationship with the boy recently but this didn't make him cease his investigations into the boy's whereabouts over the summer or into his increased magical abilities. The teachers (or at least the ones who were still standing by him) hadn't seen enough of his skill level in class yet to accurately inform him of any increases in Harry's magic. Furthermore, due to the incident on the first day of school, there was no way the boy would willingly submit to answering his questions. 

"Well, hopefully things will go better today," the Headmaster prayed silently, whilst nursing a strong cup of coffee.

The second the thought had entered his mind, a bunch of third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, which he had seen leave earlier, burst rather dramatically through the doors.

The whole hall became silent as the group marched righteously between the middle two tables towards the staff table and the thus the Headmaster.

The group stopped short at the bottom of the steps that led up to the staff table, the clear leader of the group standing in front of their group as their speaker.

"Is it true?" Lysander demanded.

"Manners, Mr Fides," Professor Sprout admonished, rather surprised at the child's bluntness. He was usually a rather soft-spoken boy. This led her to wonder just what had happened to make the other more outgoing classmates of the boy look to him as the leader.

"It's all right, Pomona," Dumbledore spoke calmingly. Turning his gaze back to Lysander he asked, "Is what true?"

"Is it true that Hogwarts is being sold?" Lysander asked, making sure he was loud enough for all to hear.

"WHAT!?" outraged voices sounded around the school. The students all began to chatter amongst themselves, the teachers doing the same.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled, sending sparks up into the air to get their attention. "Hogwarts is not, I repeat, NOT for sale!"

"Then why are you having an open day?" Lysander interrogated.

Well versed in muggle terminology, Dumbledore's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"What makes you think we're having an open day?"

"I don't know, maybe the trail of rich people walking towards the school or the giant banner outside declaring 'Hogwarts Open Day'," Lysander replied, unable to keep the heavy sarcasm from leeching into his voice.

"WHAT!?" Dumbledore yelled, racing from the room.

* * *

"For the final time, the school is NOT for sale," Dumbledore announced to the mob of protesting witches and wizards in front of him. He rubbed his throbbing forehead in an effort to relieve his massive headache. This was the twelfth group of people he had had to speak to today about this and he was sick of it. The school had also been inundated with owls from both prospective buyers and outraged parents regarding the issue and it was only just passed noon. So far he had managed to stop any of the visitors from actually entering the school, which was a trying task as they were all so insistent. A few had even gone so far to suggest that there was something inside the castle that Dumbledore didn't want to be seen. Dumbledore had waved off such accusations simply stating that he did not want the students to be interrupted from their studies. The real reason was of course something completely different. Dumbledore feared that more than one spy for Voldemort was planted in the crowd. 

"But the article in the Quibbler stated that…" one of the more annoying wizards began holding up the latest edition, whose front cover boasted a large photo of the school with a "For Sale"  
sign planted directly in front of the castle. The headline "Up for Bidding" stood out boldly above the picture.

His temper finally snapping, Dumbledore glared at the people before him.

"I don't give a damn about what the Quibbler said, we are not for sale. Now, GET OUT!" Dumbledore screamed. Anger fuelling his magic, the visitors found themselves being picked up, carried and deposited rather abruptly outside the school gates by Dumbledore's magic. The gates then slammed shut with a resounding bang, not opening up to any that approached it for the rest of the day.

That sorted, Dumbledore stumbled tiredly up to his office. Upon opening the door, the sight that met his eyes almost made him slam the door shut again. Instead, he steeled himself and turned to address the saner looking of the pair in front of him.

"Poppy, what has happened to Severus?" Dumbledore groaned, taking in the pink tutu, tiara and ballet shoes said professor was currently dancing in.

"He's been pranked," Madam Pomfrey replied, grimacing as Snape pulled a move that was particularly revealing in his current attire. "Apparently he's been like this since his first class this morning."

"What happened, Severus?" Dumbledore asked the man as he took his seat behind his desk. The dark haired, younger man just looked at him unconcernedly before continuing his dance routine.

"It seems part of the prank is that he cannot speak and can only communicate through interpretive dance," Madam Pomfrey explained. She paused before continuing hesitantly. "He was brought to me about half an hour ago by Mr Malfoy during the sixth year Gryffindor-Slytherin class."

"How many classes did he have before that lesson?" Dumbledore asked, dreading the answer.

"Three," came her reply.

Dumbledore let his head drop onto the desk at her answer.

"Today has really sucked," he decided, as Snape twirled passed him.

* * *

A/N: Instead of the usual getting to know you question, this time I'd like to ask you for possible names for the star thestral. I want it to have something with meaning so I ask that if you do include a suggestion in your review, that you also give me your reason behind your choice. Thanks a bunch! 


	14. Chapter 14: A Friend

**Ends and Means**

Hello everybody! Sorry it's been so long. I meant to update ages ago but I've been really busy lately. In the past month and a bit I've had a birthday, started uni, had assignments, worked, celebrated Easter, etc. Truth be told, I didn't think that uni would be this time consuming. I still haven't gotten used to doing so much work in my own time. I almost miss going to school… Sigh. Anyhoo, I apologise again for my tardiness and I want to thank my reviewers and readers. I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you all had a great Easter. Bye!

**Replies to reviews:**

**Draeconin: **I had a look through the rules and I couldn't find one that says we can't reply to reviews in our chapters. I found one saying your entire chapter can't be just reviews but nothing to suggest that I can't reply here. For the record I have been trying to shorten my author's notes but I don't like the idea of getting rid of them all together. You have my permission to just ignore them completely if you like. If you can show me precisely which rule you're talking about, I will reconsider.

In regards to your question about Harry's wings, they are undetectable to all five senses including his own. All Harry feels is the weight of something pulling on his back. He can't actually feel his wings. Clothes-wise, let's just say he has a whole in his robes his wings can fit through that is covered by a glamour. To be honest, I don't consider this aspect to be that important in the story, hence not mentioning it at all. Thanks for pointing this out though.

**Norwegian MoonShadow: **Woah and here's me thinking I was insane. You and I would get along great should we ever actually meet. 'Pop goes the weasel'. Honestly! Lol. I like your Norse suggestions for a name. I still haven't decided yet but something Norse is rather fitting since it was a Norse myth that inspired part of this story. I wonder if you can guess which one by the times this story's over?

**Countess Alecto: **Actually I think I may have mucked it up between 'open house' and 'open day' but as Hogwarts isn't really a house, it wouldn't have really worked. My bad. Let's just put it down to wizards being ignorant of muggle terminology. grins

**Everyone else: **Thank you! I love you all! grins

* * *

**Chapter 14: A Friend**

"Can you pass me the butter please, Neville?" Harry asked as he angrily plopped down at the empty Gryffindor table and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Good morning to you too," Neville replied wryly, handing his black-haired friend said condiment. "I take it your detention with Snape last night went well?"

"Oh, it went swimmingly" Harry answered sarcastically. "He made me scrape all of the gunk off the potion's classroom floor with a teaspoon! Absolutely spiffing way to send a Sunday night," he growled, wielding his jam-smeared knife violently. "I still say can't believe the prat gave me a detention for 'looking guilty'. Stupid bastard! It's a travesty of justice!"

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic," Luna sighed from the other side of Neville. "Your lucky that's all he made you do. Did you hear about Snape did to Terry Boot when he discovered he had one of those Swan Lake posters?"

As both boys shook their heads, Luna continued, "Apparently, Snape gave Terry the job of training the Giant Squid."

"WHAT?!" Neville and Harry yelped in unison. Seeing that their exclamation had drawn the attention of the half-full Great Hall, Harry lowered his voice and repeated the question.

"Well, you know how the Giant Squid has the occasional tendency to capsize boats and drag in students from the shores of the lake? Snape told Terry that he thought that a little discipline would solve the problem and got Terry to try to teach the Squid to behave. He had to do things like swim by the Squid and mildly hex it if it went to grab him. To say the Giant Squid didn't take too kindly to his new lessons is an understatement. Terry's been in the Hospital Wing for almost five days now."

Neville let out a low whistle when Luna finished speaking.

"He's getting more creative with his detentions," Neville shivered. "If that's not scary, I don't know what is."

"Nah, Snape's face when he first saw that Swan Lake poster was much, much more frightening," Harry chipped in. "I have never seen him so furious. I'm so glad I was under the Invisibility Cloak at the time. He would have flayed me alive if he had known I was there."

"I thought you said you weren't the one who produced those posters," Neville inquired, his eyebrows drawn.

"I wasn't though I would like to know who did. Excellent piece of work," Harry praised, nabbing another piece of toast.

"It must me a Muggleborn or Muggle-raised person," Luna suggested logically. "Swan Lake is a purely Muggle ballet."

"And they need to have access to a camera or someone with a camera," Neville added.

Thinking back to the first time that he had had a clear look at the poster, Harry tried to recall any other details that would give a clue to who was the mastermind behind the concept.

Numerous Swan Lake posters had appeared on various walls and doors around the castle the day after the pranks on Dumbledore and Snape had been pulled. Their design mimicked the standard format for ballet performance advertisements in the Muggle world, with the title in bold up top and a named picture of the star of the show below it. In this case, the ballet being advertised had been Swan Lake and the star of the show was none other than Severus Snape in all his tutu-ed glory.

"The person has to be smart too as none of the teachers have managed to track them down yet," Harry supplied.

"Or us yet," Luna smiled.

"Key word: yet" Neville rolled his eyes. "To be honest, I'm a bit surprised that we haven't been found out. I mean, the article about Hogwarts being for sale was published in the Quibbler. You'd think that at least someone would have drawn the conclusion that we, or at the very least Luna, may have something to do with it?"

"Yeah but who's gonna believe that Luna would do anything like that?" Harry stated. "No offence Luna but most people consider you way too withdrawn and well, out of it to do something like a prank."

"No offence taken. Oh, which reminds me, I haven't told you Dad's meeting with Dumbledore yet, have I?" Luna questioned. "I got an owl from Dad yesterday night. Dumbledore went to see him the other day to inquire about the article. Dad stuck to the plan and told Dumbledore about the 'official' missive from Dumbledore himself that had spurred Dad to write the article. Obviously, Dumbledore protested ever writing such a letter and demanded to see it. He was apparently surprised that the letter did look as if he had scribed it. He even agreed with Dad that it did look like an official letter if you disregarded the bumblebees scrawled in orange crayon in the margins and the fact that it was signed 'Albino Piranha Wolverine Brain Dubbledork.'"

Harry and Neville snickered in remembrance.

"And of course Dumbles can't exactly sue the Quibbler for putting out misinformation," Harry pointed out.

"True, true," Neville agreed thinking about the previous Quibbler edition's article on the fierce rivalry between Snelltoads and Crumple-Horned Snorkaks._(1)_

"Oi, Potter" a voice called from the Ravenclaw table.

Looking to where the voice had originated, Harry spotted Anthony Goldstein beckoning him over. "Do you and your friends mind joining us for a bit?"

Intrigued as to why he was being invited into one of their debates, Harry swiftly walked over to Anthony, dragging Luna and Neville with him.

"What's up?" he queried after they had made themselves comfortable at the Ravenclaw table.

"We were just debating on how light and dark creatures are best defined and this led to us speaking about thestrals. However, none of has really had cause to study thestrals thoroughly before and since you did ride one into the Great Hall, we were wondering if you knew anything about them," Anthony explained.

"Well, I know the basics about them. For instance, only those who have seen death can see them. They've got an excellent sense of direction and are attracted by the scent of blood. Um…" Harry trailed off. "Come to think of it, I don't really know anything else about them. I have Care of Magical Creatures today though so I could probably ask Hagrid about them," he offered, finishing off his toast.

"All right then, please do that and we'll do a bit of research ourselves," one of the seventh year girls, who Harry later learnt was named Calliope Antonius, said with a gentle smile at him. "Now," she continued, her tone becoming a lot more authoritative as she turned to address all the participants of the debate. "As we all need some time to further investigate this topic and as it's almost eight and consequently, the Gryffindors will be here in a minute, this debate is adjourned until tomorrow morning. Dismissed".

"Why does the Gryffindors entering the Hall signal the end of a debate?" Neville asked Luna watching as the majority of the Ravenclaws began to vacate the table.

"Have you never noticed how loud your table always is? There's no point holding a debate if you can't even hear yourself think let alone what others are saying," Luna answered, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you later," she stated, before drifting out of the room.

As the last Ravenclaw left, there was a full second of silence before the doors burst open again spewing forth a cluster of chattering Gryffindors. As more and more of them entered the room, the noise became almost overwhelmingly loud.

"I see what she means," Harry winced as the two boys quickly exited the noisy Hall. A staircase later, Neville smacked himself on the head in exasperation.

"Damn! I forgot my bag in the Hall," he groaned. "Meet you in CoMC?"

"Sure," Harry replied, waving goodbye. When Neville was out of sight, he continued his climb to the tower. As the corridors were basically deserted, Harry relished in the silence as he walked. In no time at all, he had reached the Fat Lady's portrait and after saying the password, clambered into the common room and up to the dormitory. He had just grabbed his bag off the floor next to his bed when a strong sense of unease swept over him. Quietly extracting his wand from his pocket, he quickly scanned the room with his eyes. Nothing seemed amiss but this didn't curb his feeling of something being wrong. He glanced around the room again, this time extending a bit of his magic as well and consequently achieving a better result. His eyes were drawn to his four-poster bed sensing something strongly magical behind its heavy hangings. After a quick internal battle between his rash Gryffindor side and his more cautious Slytherin one, he steeled himself and in one swift move, pulled aside the bed curtains.

Sitting innocently on the centre of his bed was a small pensieve, liquid silver swirling in its central cavity. Harry stared at it, curiosity and caution playing across his face. Whose pensieve was it and why was it on his bed?

"Well, there's only one way to find out," he murmured to himself as he reached towards the wispy silver strands.

CRASH!

Jerking his hand back quickly, he whipped around to see what had caused the noise. His eyebrows rose into his hairline as he spotted the star thestral picking itself up from the floor. From the rather incriminating hole in the glass window, it was obvious what had happened. Still, Harry found it odd that the thestral had been flying so close to the castle in the first place. From what he had seen, thestrals generally preferred to stay in the dark confines of the Forbidden Forest.

"What are you doing here?" Harry questioned, before kicking himself for thinking the beast would answer him.

The thestral just looked at him steadily before shaking the glass off its coat and approaching him. Reminiscent of their first meeting, it sniffed at his hidden wings before sinking down in front of him. Recognising what was expected of him, Harry nodded his head in understanding before asking the animal to wait a minute. He turned and again regarded the pensieve on his bed before sighing and hiding it beneath his bed. It seemed that he would have to wait for a while before he could allay his curiosity. After placing as many locking and privacy spells as he could think of on his bed and banishing the glass on the floor, he grabbed his bag and clambered onto the star thestral's back.

"I really need to come up with a name for you," he muttered as the thestral dove out through the still broken window. Once they had cleared it, Harry turned in his seat and repaired the window.

"So where exactly are we going?" Harry asked the beast as it did its fourth consecutive lap around the school. As if understanding what Harry was asking, it slowed downed and began to descend. It took him down inside the Forbidden Forest, right in the middle of his Care of Magical Creatures class. As with the Opening Feast, his arrival caused quite a storm but he paid it no mind, wondering instead how it knew which class he was due in.

Jumping lightly off the star thestral's back, he patted it farewell before it once more took flight.

"Blimey, Harry," Hagrid uttered in awe. "Do yeh know wha' tha' was?"

"A thestral," Harry replied without a pause. He was a bit surprised by Hagrid's reaction though, as he knew Harry had learnt about them last year.

"Tha' was no ordinary thestral, Harry. Tha' was an alpha!" the half-giant replied.

"An alpha?" Neville inquired, failing to see the importance of such a statement.

"Yeh, an alpha. Did yeh see the patch of silver on its flank? Tha' mark is caused by a splash o' unicorn blood. It's shows tha' it's the alpha."

"So? Who cares that that thestral's an alpha? It's not that big a deal," Malfoy stated with the faintest traces of a sneer on his face. It seemed that even Malfoy's defection to the light wouldn't put an end to his distaste and prejudice against Hagrid.

"Bu' it is impor'ant," Hagrid declared, wonder still present in his tone. "There has never been an alpha thestral in all recorded history.

"Really? Then how did you know that the silver mark on its flank signified it as the alpha?" Malfoy asked, scepticism evident in his tone.

"'Cause that's a standard leadership mark amongst most magical creatures," Hagrid explained. "The only magical beasts tha' don' use unicorn blood to mark the alphas are one's where the members were once human like werewolves an' vampires."

"You said that there's never been an alpha thestral in 'recorded history'." Harry pointed out. "Surely there have been some in the wild that people haven't had the chance to record."

"Nah, there's no'," Hagrid stated matter-of-factly. "Yeh have to understand tha' there aren't tha' many thestrals in the world. In fact, they actually have a set number."

"A set number?" Blaise Zabini questioned, from where he leant against a tree. Harry startled slightly at the sound of his voice. He had forgotten that his whole CoMC class was present. "Yeh," Hagrid responded to his question. "No one knows why bu' for some reason, thestrals do no' breed. No one knows how they go' here and no one's ever seen one die either. Their numbers haven't changed in over two centuries. That's why it's such a big deal for there to not only be a new one bu' for it to be marked as an alpha."

"You think it's a new thestral?" Harry asked, his mind struggling to take in all this new information. "Could't it just have come from another area?"

"Nah, that's impossible. The Ministry monitors all thestral communities. Trus' me. Yeh star thestral is a new 'un."

"He's too big to be a baby though," Neville argued.

"Like I sed, thestrals don' breed. So yeh can't expec' a new thestral to be a babe. In any case, thestrals don' grow either. Wha'ever size they are, they stay."

"That is really odd," Harry muttered, half to himself.

"Yeh, they're right fascin'ating creatures. It seems that the newbie's taken quite a liking to yeh, Harry. Trea' 'im well and yeh'll have a friend for life," Hagrid beamed. "Tell yeh what, class is jus' 'bout over so why don' yeh come with me back to meh hut. I've go' a decen' book on the subjec' tha' yeh could leaf through in yeh spare time."

"I'd like that," Harry replied earnestly. This would also give him the chance to speak to Hagrid without Ron, Hermione and Ginny being present.

"Righ'. The rest of yeh lo' are free to go. No homework tonigh," Hagrid called to the rest of the class who cheered in response and set off, already discussing what they had just learnt about thestrals.

* * *

"Here's yeh book," Hagrid stated, handing a small book to Harry before taking a seat across from him.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry expressed, setting his teacup down so that he could properly examine the book. It was covered in worn black leather, its title faded from age. Opening it up, he began to flick through the pages, noting the small, spidery handwriting that marked the pages.

"There's another reason why the arrival of yeh star thestral is impor'an," Hagrid spoke quietly.

Lifting an eyebrow in question, Harry stopped his examination and turned to regard his friend.

"I didn' say it earlier 'cause I didn' know how you'd react," Hagrid continued. "Turn to page 18."

Following the order, Harry flicked forward in the book. His eyes settled on the title topping the page and his breath stilled. "_The Prophecy of the Star Thestral_," he read, his voice catching slightly on the word 'prophecy'.

At Hagrid's nod, Harry read it aloud.

_"Time cannot halt_

_Nor death be delayed_

_Should the star return_

_With feathers frayed_

_Then the count shall begin_

_One for every sun_

_Marked by those who fell_

_But watched by no one_

_Beware! Take heed_

_For the moon lies_

_And should no one know_

_And should no one realise_

_Then nature shall reclaim_

_What is hers by right_

_And the world shall fall_

_Into deepest night."_

There was a moment of sombre silence as Harry's voice died away, before Hagrid spoke once more.

"It doesn' say in tha' book when tha' prophecy was made or by whom bu' from wha' I've been told, it predates the arrival of the firs' thestral."

"Is it a well known prophecy then?"

"Only amongst thestral enthusiasts like mehself." Sighing, Hagrid continued, "I know that yeh've go' a lo' on your plate at the momen', Harry. I don' know everythin' but I know enough to worry 'bout yeh an' I'm sorry if I've jus' given yeh somethin' else to stress 'bout. It coul' jus' be tha' this is jus' a coincidence but I feel better knowin' yeh're aware of this prophecy."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'm glad that at least you trust me enough to be honest with me," Harry smiled sadly, as he finished off his tea and stood to go.

"Dumble'ore's just doin' wha' he thinks is best for yeh, Harry. I know it's hard but yeh need to trust 'im."

"I don't trust adults any more, Hagrid. I've been hurt far too often by them to simply accept their words and actions," he replied, placing the book in his bag and walking towards the door.

"Yeh mean yeh don' trust me?" Hagrid asked, hurt lacing his voice.

Harry paused at the door, his back to Hagrid and replied quietly, "I don't consider you to be an adult, Hagrid."

"Wha' am I then?" came the pain-filled reply.

Harry turned and gave Hagrid a tiny, reassuring smile.

"A friend," he stated simply, before shutting the door silently behind him.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are like chocolate… you can never have enough. hint hint

Seriously though, I would like some feedback on how I'm going. What do you think of the prophecy? I hope it's not too transparent. Bye!

(1) Is this how you spell it?


	15. Chapter 15: To Relive is to Realise

**Ends and Means**

Greetings dear readers. I hope you're all doing well. I personally am very tired and am lamenting the fact that I start work at 8:30am tomorrow but oh well. Before I say anything else I would like to remind everyone that I do not own Harry Potter. That privilege belongs only to J. K. Rowling. That said, I acknowledge that some parts of this chapter contain both direct and indirect quotes from the Harry Potter series, which as I've mentioned, do not belong to me. Now that's out of the way, here's some replies to reviews.

**RRW: **I might draw one up just for you. Lol. I'll see if I have the time.

**Makurayami Ookami: **I appreciate you taking the time to write a bit of a review for all the chapters so far. Thank you so much!

**Norwegian Moonflower: **This has got to be one of the weirdest reviews I've ever received and I loved it! Cheers!

**Dark Side Of The Light Side: **Thanks. I appreciate what you said.

**To everyone speculating about the star thestral prophecy: **Some people have got some bits right, some people don't. In either case, I'm not saying a thing on the matter. I don't want to spoil the story. I will give you one hint if you like. A major aspect of this fic is based off an old, Norse myth. Make of that what you will.

**Everyone else who reviewed: **Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to review and I hope you continue to do so.

* * *

**Chapter 15: To Relive is to Realise**

Harry sighed wearily as he strode away from Hagrid's hut, the little, black leather book he'd been given clutched firmly in his hand. He was beginning to regret what he had said to Hagrid. No doubt the half giant would now be even more worried about him and Harry didn't want Hagrid to be burdened by such a feeling. He knew he shouldn't have said anything but he'd been so caught up in the thought of yet another prophecy that he had spoken without thinking.

"Why can't my life ever be simple?" he mused aloud, his tone bitter.

"Mr Potter!" a voice bellowed across the grounds. Turning to see who was calling him, Harry was met with the sight of the new Potions master, Professor Slughorn racing towards him, as fast as his large bulk would allow.

Groaning softly, Harry stopped walking and awaited the man's arrival. Ever since his first potions lesson, Slughorn has been needling him to join his infamous Slug Club. Harry had repeatedly declined the offer as he had far too much to do already but Slughorn was persistent. He just wouldn't let him say no and had taken to cornering Harry every chance he got.

"Sir?" Harry inquired politely when the man finally reached him. Slughorn didn't respond as he was far too out of breath to speak.

"I… huh huh… was just…huh huh… wondering if you… huh huh… had changed your mind about… huh huh… joining my SlugClub?" the wide-girthed man panted.

"I'm sorry, sir but I'm afraid that I'm far to busy to take on another extracurricular activity," Harry answered, reciting the same excuse he used every time the man asked him.

"That's too bad, Harry. I was… huh huh… hoping you could at least come to the meeting tonight…huh huh… just so you could see what it is like?" Slughorn trailed off hopefully, as they began to walk together back to the school.

"I'm afraid that I already have something I need to do tonight, sir."

"You're sure you can't even pop in for just a minute? Surely whatever you're doing can't be that important?" Slughorn interrogated, finally regaining his breath.

"I'm sorry, sir but I've been made captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and I plan to spend tonight coming up with a new training regime. Most of the members of my team are new so I'm trying to come up with ways to get them to develop more as a team. I really think they've got some potential," Harry explained, his thoughts drifting to the rag tag bunch of kids he was captain of.

Harry had held trials for the team in the third week of school and was quite proud of how they were progressing under his captaincy. Katie Bell had returned to claim her spot as a Chaser alongside Ginny Weasley and a young girl named Demelza Robins. For Beaters, there was a broad-chested third-year named Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote, a skinny kid with superb aim. Harry, of course, had taken up his old role of Seeker and the new Keeper was none other than Ron Weasley. They'd had quite a few practices already, as the team needed to become used to playing with each other. However, as Harry was still angry at Ginny and Ron, it occasionally got a bit tense. For the sake of Quidditch though, he had put aside his feelings and treated them politely, if a little distantly.

"Well, I guess Quidditch is important too," Slughorn acknowledged gruffly. "If you ever change your mind, you're very welcome to join us."

"Thank you, sir. I'll bear that in mind," Harry replied courteously. By now they had reached the Entrance Hall and Harry finally managed to escape Slughorn's company on the grounds that he needed to go up to his dormitory.

He made his way up to the dorm quickly, weaving between the other students who were going to their next class. From the looks of it, the story of him arriving at CoMC on an alpha thestral had already made its way through the grapevine. People were whispering excitedly to each other and turned to stare at him when he passed by. Harry, in his regular form, ignored the attention though his neck prickled with the weight of so many gazes upon him. Luckily though, today was Thursday so CoMC was his only class for the day. This meant that he could hide out in the Gryffindor tower until dinner. Hopefully by then the excitement would die down a bit. He winced slightly at the thought of the Ravenclaw debate he was to participate in the next morning, as they would no doubt grill him intensely on the subject.

Finally reaching the tower, he muttered the password and slipped in. There were a few students already in the common room but no one that Harry really knew. There was a blonde seventh year was in one corner of the room, working furiously on an essay and a pair of what third years who were immersed in a lively game of exploding snap. Harry guessed that they were cutting class. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry also spotted a fifth year that he recognised as a friend of Colin Creevey asleep in an armchair in front of the fire.

Climbing up to his dorm, Harry was glad to see that it was deserted. Satisfied that he would have no interruptions, Harry undid the locking and privacy charms on his bed and grabbed the pensieve he'd hidden under there earlier. Scrambling onto his bed, he shut the curtains around him and replaced the locking and privacy wards he'd just taken down. He also set up a monitoring charm, which would warn him if someone were trying to open them up. For good measure, he then cast a strong silencing charm. He didn't know what was going to happen when he viewed the contents of the pensieve but he figured it was better safe than sorry.

After tucking his wand securely back into his pocket, Harry leaned forward and touched his nose into the silvery contents of the basin. Immediately, he felt himself being sucked into a memory.

* * *

_With a thump Harry landed in a large dark room. Glancing around, he was surprised to see an eleven-year-old version of himself standing rigidly on a large, white square. Nearby a young Hermione was situated on a black square. Both were staring at eleven-year-old Ron, whose brow was furrowed in thought. Broken chess pieces littered the black and white chequered floor around them._

_"McGonagall's giant chess game," Harry murmured quietly to himself, his mind whirling back to the night he, Ron and Hermione had stopped Quirrell from obtaining the Philosopher's Stone._

_'We're nearly there,' Ron muttered suddenly, breaking Harry from his reminiscence. Harry was amused to hear how high pitched the red head's voice had been back then._

_'Let me think- let me think…' Ron repeated under his breath._

_As if responding to the sound of his voice, the white queen turned her blank face towards the boy._

_Present day Harry stiffened as he realised just what he was about to witness._

_'Yes…' said Ron softly, 'it's the only way… I've got to be taken.'_

_'NO!' past Harry and Hermione shouted. It took a moment for real Harry to realise that he had unknowingly shouted alongside them._

_'That's chess!' Ron snapped. 'You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!'_

_'But-'_

_'Do you want to stop Snape or not?'_

_'Ron-'_

_'Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!'_

_Real Harry watched as anguish, fear, denial and finally resignation flitted across his younger counterparts face. He felt himself experiencing those emotions all over again as he watched Ron prepare to sacrifice himself. ._

_'Ready?' Ron called, his face pale but determined. 'Here I go- now, don't hang around once you've won.'_

_He stepped forward and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm and he crashed to the floor- Hermione screamed but stayed on her square- the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out._

_Present day Harry, swallowed a lump in his throat as he walked over to where the red head had been dumped. He could hear his younger self and Hermione finishing off the game but ignored them completely as he took in Ron's state. When he was eleven, he had never found out what kind of injuries Ron had ended up with as he and Hermione had immediately raced off to deal with the other obstacles set by the teachers. Now however, he had that chance and what he saw made his stomach clench._

_From Ron's laboured breathing it was obvious that at least one of his ribs was broken and pressing painfully against his lungs. He also had bruising on his arm, chest and his face. Blood was dripping liberally from a cut on his forehead and there was a large gash on his shoulder._

_The knowledge that he had indirectly caused Ron's injuries hit Harry hard especially as he couldn't even remember ever asking Ron about them back then. In all the hype of his own injury and telling his friends what had happened when he had faced Quirrell, he had just assumed that Hermione and Ron had only obtained superficial injuries. Looking at Ron now, he knew this was not the case and that realisation hurt. As if in cue, the scene began to fade away and Harry was propelled into the next memory._

* * *

_He was standing in a thick forest, lit only by the light of a lumos charm a twelve-year-old version of himself had cast. His past self was pointing his wand at the ground, obviously searching for something whilst a young image of Ron leant on the rusted hood of a blue, Ford Anglia._

_"The Forbidden Forest," present day Harry muttered, recalling his second year. "Must be when Ron and I met Aragog."_

_He began to look closer at his surroundings, spotting a few of Aragog's children hidden amongst the shadows. From Ron's terrified visage, it was clear that he had noticed them too._

_'We've lost the trail,' young Harry stated, oblivious to their predicament. 'C'mon, let's go and find them.'_

_Noticing Ron's horrified gaze fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind him, young Harry attempted to turn around but it was already too late. Both boys were soon lifted into the air by the hairy legs of the acromantulas. Real Harry followed the giant spiders as they carried the two twelve-year-olds further into the forest, Fang being dragged along with them. They were soon dropped into a large clearing in which yet more giant spiders were waiting. Fang was whimpering in fear, whilst memory Harry was scared but brave enough to begin a conversation with Aragog. Ron, on the other hand, was literally paralysed with terror; his mouth stretched open in a silent scream._

_The knowledge that he had once more been responsible for putting his friend in danger bit at Harry yet again. Because of his drive to solve the secret of the Chamber of secrets, Harry had made Ron not only face his greatest fear but had also brought Ron into this situation knowing fully well that Ron's wand was broken at that point in time. Sure, it had been Ron's choice to accompany Harry there but if Harry had never gone there in the first place than the whole situation would have been avoided. Once more, Harry's surroundings faded away as he was thrust into the next memory the pensieve had to offer._

* * *

_Thirteen-year-old Harry raced along the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, a young version of Hermione running along side him. Both were pulling on the leash of Buckbeak the Hippogriff, dragging him towards the school. The light of the full moon glistened off them eerily as a werewolf howled in the distance._

_Present day Harry felt tears burn his eyes as he realised that this was the night he had first met Sirius. Looking towards the lake he noticed several dementors floating nearby but as this was a memory, he was immune to their influence._

_"Sirius must have already been captured and locked in Flitwick's office in the West Tower," he murmured to himself as he saw his younger self hoist Hermione onto Buckbeak's back, before clambering on himself. Not wanting to be left behind, real Harry quickly leaped onto the Hippogriff's back just as it began to take off._

_It was from his seat behind Hermione that he was able to comprehend just how petrified she had been during the flight. His younger counterpart was obviously to busy steering Buckbeak to pay her any attention but present day Harry could clearly hear her muttering, 'Oh, no- I don't like this- oh I really don't like this,' under her breath. He also noticed how ashen her face was, a point emphasised by the watery light of the moon. It was clear to Harry now that Hermione feared flying almost as much as Ron feared spiders. Thinking back, Harry couldn't recall a single instance, apart from their initial flying lessons in first year, in which Hermione rode a broomstick. Clearly she'd had this fear of flying for a while yet she hadn't even hesitated when helping Harry save his Godfather. She'd done it for his sake. At this realisation, the memory faded away._

* * *

_The next few memories Harry witnessed were short and took place in his fourth year. He was forced to remember how Hermione had been the one student in the entire school who had immediately believed him when he said that he had not put his name in the Goblet of Fire. In rapid succession, he saw a series of memories in which the Ron and Hermione were helping him train for the Triwizard Tournament tasks. He relived the second task all over again and once more felt the fear in his heart when he saw Hermione and Ron's unconscious forms, tied up and guarded by merpeople, hundreds of metres below the Great Lake's surface. He witnessed Hermione's tears of pain as she opened up a hate letter containing undiluted bubotuber pus, which had been sent to her simply because Rita Skeeter had written a fallacious article about her dating Harry. The aftermath of the third task was also shown to him and he saw once more how much emotional support they had given him as he tried to cope with Cedric's death and the rebirth of Voldemort._

* * *

_Various short memories of fifth year played through in much the same way the fourth year had except this time they were quicker, as if racing towards a climax._

_He recalled Hermione and Ron staying by him and defending him against claims that he was insane. He saw Hermione waiting for him to return from detention with Umbridge, a bowl of strained and pickled Murtlap tentacle solution ready to treat his hand. Hermione and Ron's help in establishing the DA played out for him again as well as the time he had envisioned Mr Weasley getting attacked by Nagini and them overhearing the adults wondering whether Harry had been possessed by Voldemort or not. They hadn't abandoned him that time either though they had had a good reason to. _

_He also got to relive the night he, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna had recklessly rushed off to the Ministry of Magic in order to save Sirius. They had gone with him despite the fact that Harry had come to the conclusion that Sirius had been captured due to a vision he had seen. They had accompanied him even though they would be facing battle-hardened wizards who wouldn't think twice of torturing and killing them. Hermione had even braved her fear of flying once more just to stay by his side. The memory of that night and the battle that took place finished playing out before fading out._

* * *

_Next he relived what had happened that summer. He saw Hermione and Ron's reactions to his Occlumency lessons. He observed the night they had heard about his memory block and their lack of reaction at Dumbledore's proclamation of Harry falling short of their expectations as the Boy Who Lived. This time however, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with them. He was still reeling from the earlier revelations the pensieve had given him and couldn't muster up such a feeling. The next scene he witnessed dashed the last few vestiges of anger he'd felt at them._

* * *

_He stood in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, Snape, Mr Weasley, Remus, Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione all gathered around the kitchen table. From the corner of his eye, he saw his past self leave the room and retreat upstairs. This was obviously what had happened after he'd left that meeting about him having a memory block._

_'Well, I'm glad Harry seems to be taking the news so calmly," memory Dumbledore smiled, stroking his beard._

_'I want you to promise me that you find a safe way to extract the memory block, Albus," Mr Weasley stated. 'I want Harry to have a better chance surviving this war as much as the next person but I don't want him to suffer for it. He's been through too much already.'_

_'Of course, Arthur,' Dumbledore cheerfully replied. 'You know I always try to do what's best for the boy.'_

_'Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should probably ask Harry for permission first,' Remus added thoughtfully._

_'As is the right thing to do,' Dumbledore agreed, before turning to Snape. 'Well if that's all,' Dumbledore continued, 'then I shall take my leave. Severus, I would appreciate if you would accompany me. Good night, everyone.'_

_With a wave from Dumbledore and a glare from Snape, they flooed out of the kitchen._

_Mr Weasley and Remus left soon after, bidding the two remaining teens a good night and warning them not to stay up too long._

_'I'm worried, Ron,' Hermione admitted quietly once they were alone. 'Memory blocks are a really serious matter. For Harry to have one means that he's suffered through something really traumatic. To destroy it carelessly could damage Harry's mind.'_

_'Yeah but they can also be dangerous if left alone,' Ron remarked, 'and Harry's magic could be getting affected by it too.'_

_'What an awful situation,' Hermione cried. 'I feel so torn. On the one hand, destroying the mental block could be dangerous but on the other hand, if Harry does become more powerful with its removal than he'll stand a better chance the next time he's attacked.'_

_Ron nodded in agreement but from the pensive look on his face, Harry could tell that he hadn't been paying close attention to her words._

_'I'm curious though,' Ron spoke after a moment's pause. 'From the way Dumbledore talks, it's almost as if he's one hundred percent sure that Harry will be the one to defeat You-Know-Who. I mean I know that You-Know-Who keeps coming after him but…' he trailed off._

_'You think that there's some truth to what the Daily Prophet is saying in that the prophecy we found in the Department of Mysteries was about Harry and V-Voldemort.'_

_'Well, you have to admit it would explain a lot of things, especially if Dumbledore knew the prophecy,' Ron pointed out._

_'You might be right,' Hermione sighed. 'In any case, what do we do now?'_

_'There's nothing we really can do. We have no proof for any of our theories and I don't want to trouble Harry with anything at this stage. He's under enough stress at the moment,' Ron replied, standing up and pushing his chair in. 'So we'll just wait and in the meantime, help Harry in any way we can.'_

_'You've gotten really mature lately,' Hermione stated, accepting Ron's offered hand to help her up._

_'War tends to do that to you, I suppose,' the red-haired boy replied sadly. Arms around each other, the two left the kitchen, the light switching off behind them._

* * *

It was a shock to Harry when he found himself back on his bed in the dorm again. He was still reeling from everything he'd just witnessed. Guilt and sadness overwhelmed him as he lay in his bed listening to the snores of his dorm mates.

How could he have treated Ron and Hermione so badly over the years? He had taken them for granted and he was ashamed of that. He had taken out his anger and frustration on them when all they'd done is worry about him. Though these thoughts tore at Harry's heart, it was what Harry next saw that sent him over the edge. Carved in Hermione's neat script on the bottom of the now empty pensieve was a single word: Proof.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? I want to try to develop the characters a bit so forgive me if they get a bit OOC. For those who don't like Hermione or Ron or thought that they would be bashed in this fic, sorry but I don't think that friends like that can be lost so easily. It will be a while before the Golden Trio fully gets back together though, so don't think that I'm going to rush this. I want to make it realistic.

This week's question, should you choose to respond (which you should!) has two-parts: who is your favourite and least favourite character in the series. Justify as you see fit. Bye!


	16. Chapter 16: Up to Chance

**Ends and Means**

Hi everyone. I'm going to keep this short and sweet and stick the replies to reviews at the end.

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**Chapter 16: Up to Chance**

"_Reducto! Reducto! Reducto!_" Harry panted, aiming his wand at a nearby boulder. Said boulder promptly exploded in a shower of shrapnel, the silencing charm he'd previously placed on the area muting the noise. Harry paused, glancing around as he fought to catch his breath. Blown up rocks and dust surrounded him, a small area of devastation in which he was the centre. He collapsed onto the ground, sweat dripping off him and looked up at the sky.

From the sun's position in the cloudy sky, he surmised that it was around six thirty now, which means that he'd been destroying rocks for a good forty-five minutes now. He was physically exhausted and a little dizzy from using so much magic but he didn't mind. This early morning exercise had served its purpose. His anger and frustration had been vented and along with it went the remaining doubts and painful thoughts that had been plaguing him since the night before. As he watched the clouds sluggishly churn across the sky, his mind drifted back to the previous evening and the events that had led up to his early morning destructive streak.

Initially after he had finished going through the contents of memories Ron and Hermione had offered as proof, his emotions had gone into overdrive. The grief and guilt that he had buried deep within his soul had surged forth once more, just like it had after the memory block had been destroyed, too strong and overwhelming to ignore. It had paralysed him with its intensity, a throbbing, bone-deep feeling, which made him feel both numb and oversensitive at the same time. Each second stretched into eternity as he lay trembling in his bed, feeling as if he were either going to burst or be devoured by his despair.

Gradually however, the feeling began to ease ever so slightly. As the pain began to recede, his mind, which had thus far been empty due to his overwhelming emotions, began to work once more. Desperate to be free from his inner turmoil, he had fallen back onto the technique he always used when his emotions became too much: he got angry. Anger dulled the pain. Rage made him numb and allowed him to escape the sharp knives of sorrow that bled him.

"Why should I forgive them? They betrayed me! They hurt me! Just because I've put them into a bit of danger in the past doesn't mean they deserve to be my friends! They didn't have to come. They could have backed out anytime. It's not my fault! It's their's!" Harry thought, convincing himself of their guilt. A small part of his mind pointed out that he was just running away again. He was making up lies and getting angry with them simply to escape his own pain but he furiously shoved that thought aside. It didn't matter at the moment if he was lying to himself or not. Anger equalled relief from his grief.

Harry couldn't really recall what had happened after he had reached that conclusion in his mind. He couldn't remember how he'd ended up on the bank of the Lake blowing up rocks. All he knew was that he was here now and that he'd needed to take his anger out on something. He'd needed an outlet for all his pent up emotions and destroying rocks had seemed an excellent solution at the time.

Sighing again, Harry drew his thoughts back to the present just as a particularly ominous rain cloud drifted overhead. It seemed the weather matched his mood. Why did life have to be so difficult?

"Good morning, Harry. I see you've been busy," Luna's voiced conversationally, causing Harry to start. He hadn't heard her coming but then, he never managed to hear Luna approaching. It was just another quirk that made up Luna Lovegood.

"What are you doing up this early, Luna?" Harry inquired, watching as the petite blonde sat down daintily on a half-blown up chunk of rock. "How did you even know I was here?"

"Like attracts like, I guess," she shrugged, not bothering to clarify what she meant when he raised a bewildered eyebrow at her. Pulling out the white feather Harry had given her from the pocket of her robes, Luna eyed it critically for a moment before quietly asking, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Harry looked away; suddenly conscious of just how much destruction he had wrought. He shifted uncomfortably as he considered how to answer her.

"You don't have to, you know," Luna continued, ignoring his blatant discomfort as she continued her examination of the feather. "I'm only offering because they say that it helps if you talk to someone but then I wouldn't really know."

"You're lucky then," Harry blurted out, bitterness and envy colouring his tone of voice.

"Am I now?" Luna replied, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Of course you are! You've never been hurt like I have, have you? You've never had a psychotic killer murder your parents and come after you. Your closest friends have never betrayed you! You've never been responsible for the death of someone you hold dear! You don't have to deal with stupid, fucking prophecies that dictate your whole life! So of course you're lucky! " Harry exploded, his temper getting the better of him once more. "I would give anything to be as lucky as you…"

SMACK!

Harry's eyes widened in shock as his hand instinctively went to cup his throbbing cheek. He gaped at Luna, whose hand was still raised from her slap.

"You are a fool," she growled, coldly. Do you honestly think that you're the only one who has suffered? Don't be so naïve!"

"Wh-what?" Harry sputtered, unable to connect the angry, focused girl in front of him with Luna's usual absent-minded countenance.

"All you do is go on and on about how bad your life's been, well guess what? You're not the only one whose life is messed up so don't expect any pity from me and don't you dare think that I'll let you take out your anger on me or anyone else. Stop being such a coward," she concluded, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Harry watched in shock as Luna wound down, taking deep breaths in order to regain her composure. Abruptly she sat back down on her half-destroyed rock, picking up her white feather, which had fallen from her lap when she had jumped up to slap him.

As the last piece of her rage fizzled out, Luna sighed.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to go off like that. Some of those things you said hit a little too close to home."

Harry was silent for a time, his mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally he inquired, "Is that what you meant by like attracting like? You've suffered too?"

"Some people mask their pain with anger," she stated, pointedly looking at him and the blown up rocks around him, "and some of them cover up their sorrow with cheerful optimism and dottiness," she concluded, her gaze dropping to her clenched hands in her lap. "But in the end, we're all the same."

Harry swallowed as he stared at his friend. To anyone else, she would appear to be spacey and unaffected by reality but Harry could now see that that assumption was wrong. Reality had hurt her, so much so that in order to protect herself, she hid herself behind a mask of indifference and spaceyness just as he escaped his own despair by getting angry.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, unable to look her in the eyes. He knew that his apology was not enough but he honestly couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment.

"So am I," she whispered in return, her eyes turning to the sky above.

No words were exchanged after that. They simply sat together in silence, both lost in the maelstrom of their own thoughts.

* * *

"All right. Since we have a few new people joining in today, I'll just quickly go over the ground rules before we start the debate. Firstly, I, Calliope Antonius, am this week's appointed chairperson and thus will make sure all of you remain respectful to each other. Only one person may speak at a time and that will be determined by the Raven," she stated, pointing up at the small bronze, raven figurine, which was currently flying around her head like a halo."For those of you who don't know," she continued, her hazel eyes looking pointedly at Harry and Neville," the Raven is able to scan a person's mind and thus is able to choose which person will speak based on who it thinks has the most worthwhile point. Our debates are more constructive this way because it means that everyone who has something worthwhile to say gets a chance to speak and not just those who are quickest to raise their hands. Okay? All right, this morning's debate is a continuation of yesterday's. The topic is how are light and dark creatures best defined and at the moment we're focussing solely on thestrals. Now, Potter, you said that you would ask Hagrid about them. What have you learnt?"

"Well…" Harry began, only to discover that no sound was issuing from his mouth. Confused, Harry looked back at Calliope, only to find her pointing at the bronze raven, which was winging it's way towards him. Upon reaching him, it began to spiral around his head. Seeing Calliope pointing her finger at her lips, Harry tried to speak again.

"Oh," Harry stated, this time able to speak. "So you can literally only speak when you've got the bird? That works. Anyway, about thestrals. I did find out a fair amount of information about them from Hagrid yesterday. Apparently, thestrals have a set number. By this, I mean that thestrals don't breed or die or at least, none have in recorded history. Also, as their numbers are so limited, the Ministry monitors each colony of thestrals. Since, there has been no call from any of these monitors that a thestral has gone missing, it's possible that the one that I arrived at the Welcoming feast on is a new one. Also, I don't know who amongst you can actually see it but there's a white mark on its flank in the shape of a star. According to Hagrid, most magical creatures, bar ones that were once humans like vampires and werewolves, mark the alpha by splashing a bit of unicorn blood on their coats."

The Raven flying around his head suddenly shot off to encircle Luna's blonde head.

"Your thestral is too large to be a baby though. How can it be a new one?" she interrogated before the Raven flitted back to Harry.

"Thestrals don't grow either. Whatever size they are, they stay so it is possible for a new thestral to come into this world already an adult," Harry answered, refusing to meet her eyes. He had acted like a jerk this morning to Luna and although she had given him a thorough dressing down for it, (which he still hadn't recovered from the shock of), he still felt ashamed. Luna had been nothing but good to him and he had payed her back by yelling at her. He knew he'd have to make it up to her later. Furthermore, the revelation that she was hiding deep-seated feelings of despair just as he was worried him immensely. He couldn't help but wonder what had caused it but he knew that she would never confide in him, especially at the moment.

"That's all I discovered," Harry concluded, bringing his thoughts back onto his present situation. He had deliberately failed to mention the _Prophecy of the Star Thestral_, wanting to keep it secret until he worked out whether it was something he needed to worry about or not. "Any questions?"

"I don't have any questions or any additional information to add about thestrals," Mandy Brocklehurst said, when the Raven joined her, "but I do want to comment on how limited the information about thestrals is, even in the library. I could barely find any books on them and the ones that did only had a paragraph or two describing their physical appearance or their lack of mating habits. You've got to wonder why."

"I know what you mean," Cho Chang agreed, smiling at the bronze bird that had landed on her shoulder. "I wonder if it's because people don't know enough about them or maybe they deliberately avoid the topic or something. In any case, it's definitely odd."

"That may be so but we can't spend the rest of the morning making random speculations about the issue," Calliope cut in, drawing the debate back into solid, intellectual grounds. "Since we apparently have no new information on thestrals apart from what Potter's said, then let's get back onto the original topic. What do you think should be the best way to define dark and light creatures?"

"I think the current way of classifying magical creatures based on whether they're associated with dark or light magic is fine. They are broad categories but it seems the simplest way to do it. However, I just want it to be known that think that the way people immediately associate dark creatures with evil and light creatures with good is bollocks. They can't help it if they're instinctively drawn to one aspect of magic more than another and that instinct shouldn't determine how we view them. For example, a gryphon is a light creature, yet it could quite easily rip you head off. On the other hand, a thestral may be a dark creature, yet I've never heard of one killing anyone before. Dark is dark. Light is light. Good and evil have nothing to do with it," Harry concluded, folding his arms as if the matter was over.

"Well, someone's passionate about this issue," Terry Boot chipped in. "From the fervour in your argument, I'm going to assume that your theory on dark not equalling evil also extends to spell casting?"

"Well, it is true that light spells can cause as much harm as dark spells can," a random fifth year excitedly pointed out. "For instance, you could use _Accio _to summon someone's heart out of their chest. On the other hand, if someone was slowly dying in an incredibly painful and nasty way, you could ease their suffering with a quick _Avada Kedavra_."

This proclamation was met a mixed array of silent gestures. The Raven was a speeding bullet as it shot from one person to another as they each took turns arguing for or against the notion that dark equalled evil and light equalled good. Finally the bird flew over to Neville who was just finishing off a piece of toast.

"Personally, "he uttered, after he'd swallowed, "I believe that it is highly idiotic and ignorant of people to judge others on such assumptions. However, people aren't going to stop doing it just because I can give some examples of light spells being used for evil and dark spells used for good. Even the people at this table are divided upon the issue and as I can't, nor do I want to, force my opinion on you, I don't see why I, or any of you, should spend the rest of the morning trying to do so."

He paused as everyone turned to stare at him.

"Sorry, for taking the wind out of your sails but I'm just stating what I think," Neville murmured, shuffling slightly under the heavy gazes of the Ravenclaws.

"You've no need to apologise, Longbottom," Calliope reassured, looking at him appraisingly. "You were able to remain focussed on the reality rather than the ideal. That is a worthy characteristic that is held in high esteem in Ravenclaw. I hope you all can learn from his example," Calliope declared, turning to regard her housemates. Neville blushed at her words and beamed at her. Harry could almost feel the pride emitting from Neville, who was seated beside him. Harry couldn't help but wonder if Neville had ever been praised so casually by anyone before.

"Harry," Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts. Harry turned in his seat and found her and Ron standing behind him. Both looked distinctly nervous. "Do you mind if Ron and I spoke to you privately for a minute?"

"Sure," Harry answered hesitantly. "If you'll excuse me," he intoned politely to the Ravenclaw debate participants. After a quick reassuring smile to a worried Neville and a small nod to the pointed look he received from Luna, he walked out of the Hall, his two former best friends trailing after him. Silently they followed him as he led them down a rarely used corridor and into an abandoned classroom.

"What can I do for you?" Harry asked as he sat on a desk and faced the two of them. He refused to meet their eyes though and instead, kept his gaze steadily fixed upon the point just above their heads.

"We just… we just wanted to know if you got our little peace offering," Ron asked, wringing his hands, his ears turning scarlet.

"I did," Harry replied, fighting to keep his tone calm. Ever since he'd heard Hermione's request for an audience, all the emotions he'd bottled up from the previous night had risen up again, wanting to claim him but he was fighting its effects with all his might. Luna's words from earlier had really hit him hard and he refused to fly into a rage at them just to escape his own feelings of grief and guilt. He would be strong and deal with his despair without resorting to such tactics.

"And… what do you think?" Ron continued, looking even more nervous after Harry's almost curt answer.

"Do you think we could be friends again, Harry?" Hermione suddenly burst out, tears begin to drip down her cheeks. "We really miss you."

Harry had to bite his tongue to stop the groan that almost burst from his lips. He hated it when girls cried. He never knew what to do and seeing her crying wasn't helping him deal with his own emotions.

"Think," Harry thought to himself as silence stretched between them, only broken by Hermione's sniffling. "What do I do? What do I want?"

"I would like to be friends with you again," he abruptly blurted out, more to answer his own silent question than to answer their's. "But I don't think it's going to be as easy as that," he continued, speaking his thoughts aloud. "You both, and some of the others too, really hurt me. I felt betrayed and you both know how much I loathe the idea of friends betraying friends," he pointed out, his thoughts turning to a certain rat that they all knew and hated. "I appreciate the fact that you went to the effort of giving me proof of your friendship. You even went to such lengths as to give me some of your private memories and as someone who continuously has his mind invaded by Voldemort, Snape and Dumbledore, I realise how intimate such a gesture is.

However, I can't bring myself to forgive you just like that. Don't think I didn't notice how you only put the memories of when we were on good terms in there. I can't really blame you for that since only an idiot or a truly honest person would use examples of when they weren't good friends as proof that they were. Regardless, I clearly remember every time that one of you has hurt me and I do believe that at least some of my anger at you is justified. That is the past however, and as I've learnt this morning, I can't let myself be so caught up in it that I forget about the present.

So here's the deal. I'm going to wipe the slate clean and give us the chance to start anew. From here on, you are just housemates to me. We're on friendly terms but we don't know enough about each other for our relationship to be any more than that.

You have a choice now. I can either continue to be just a housemate to you or if you like, we can slowly become friends once more. It'll be slow going if you choose this path, as we'll have to learn to trust each other once more but I can't think of any alternate solution at this point in time. I want you to know that whatever choice you make, I will respect. Now, it's all up to you," Harry finished with a small smile before he turned and walked away from them. As he left the room, he felt distinctly lighter. It was as if by finally coming to a decision about his feelings towards his former best friends, some of the negative emotions inside of him had been extracted. He still wasn't sure whether or not he'd made the right decision just now but he was relieved that it was no longer in his hands. They would decide where it went from here and for once, Harry didn't mind leaving it up to chance.

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A/N:

**To the people who flamed me: **

Look, I always try to remain polite and I expect the same courtesy from you. I'm glad to see that most of you adhered to this. May I ask though that you please stop making assumptions about what's going to happen? I stated in the last chapter that just because Hermione and Ron gave Harry some proof doesn't mean they're immediately going to become friends again. This fic isn't exactly going at a fast pace, so don't expect characters to suddenly have a change of heart or fall head over heels in love even if you think it is going that way. Chances are, it's not.

Secondly, I realise that Hermione and Ron's proof is biased. What do you expect?! Do you seriously think that they'd show him memories of all the time they'd been crap friends as part of their proof? I'd like you to understand that the personalities and circumstances of the characters will dictate what they do. It's not just up to me.

Lastly, to those who threatened to stop reading just because they don't like how I'm including Ron and Hermione in the story, get over yourselves. I don't mean to be rude but I'm not going to lose any sleep just because you're going to stop reading my fic.

I apologise if I've offended anyone but since I give you guys the right to flame me, I maintain my right to defend myself against your flames. I hope you continue to read and review my fic but if you don't then thank you for staying with me up til now.

**To those who didn't flame me or at least were polite about it: **

Thank you. I appreciate your reviews and I'm glad that at least some of you are enjoying this fic. The next chapter will (finally) be Halloween and so the plot should pick up a bit more from there. Thanks again for your support.

This week's question is: if you were able to cast one spell/ have one magical ability, which one would it be and why? Personally, I'd love to be an animagus. I think I'd probably be some sort of cat if I was…


	17. Chapter 17: Halloween

**Ends and Means**

Well, I'm exhausted. I spent most of today working on this chapter. It turned out a lot different than what I had originally envisioned but I'm happy with how it's turned out. Hope you all feel the same way! Also, if anyone's interested, on my deviant art page I stuck up a picture of what I imagine the young Harry who Dumbledore and Snape meet in Harry's mind (Chapter 6) would have looked like. The web address is: harujam dot deviantart dot com. Take a look and tell me what you think. Bye!

**Replies to reviews:**

**Jules-foil: **Look, I never meant to suggest that Harry doesn't have the right to get angry. His life is pretty messed up but that doesn't mean that he's the only one that's suffered. All I'm trying to do is put his pain in perspective. The world does not revolve around Harry no matter how much it seems you want it to. Just because Harry's the main character, doesn't mean that he is the only one to have suffered.

Why are you so focused on Harry being angry anyway? Can't he feel other emotions as well? Guilt, grief, fear, happiness… what of those? Human beings are complex creature emotionally. They cycle through all of these emotions many times over each day. Why are you so resistant to the idea that Harry can be anything but angry? Why can't Harry be the better man and learn to see that his pain shouldn't rule him? Why are you so resistant to the idea of Luna not being the spacey blonde she's made out to be? Why?

**L'uke-chan: **I'm so nice to flamers because… I can't hold a grudge to save my life. The general rule is that if someone annoys me, as long as they don't bug me for half an hour, I'll get over it. Weird but true. I'm glad you're enjoying this fic.

**SpringCherryBlossom: **Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it.

**Twinheart: **I agree about how easily Harry seems to be manipulated in fics but it is difficult to get the right balance between 'forgiving' Harry and 'let's blow up the Wizarding word' Harry. I've yet to find a fic we're Harry is that perfect balance but hey, since he's human, I doubt I ever will. Cheers for the review.

**Xam: **Thank you for your belated congratulations and yes, I do have my licence and even have a car whom I've affectionately dubbed Harold. Lol.

**Everyone else: **Thank you! Both your praises and your criticisms were insightful and welcome. It was also interesting to see your responses to my last question. I hope you continue to review! Bye!

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**Chapter 17: Halloween**

_Voldemort sat on his high-backed wooden throne, his eyes half-lidded as he drummed his fingers restlessly on the armrest. In the shadows behind him, Wormtail waited nervously, his watery eyes darting around the room, obviously waiting for something to happen. It wasn't long before a lone Death Eater entered the room through a set of large, brass doors. A wisp of long, white-blonde hair betrayed his identity as Lucius Malfoy._

_"Lucius, I trust the mission was a success?" the Dark Lord asked, his glowing red eyes promising pain worse than death should the Malfoy patriarch answer negatively._

_"Of course, my Lord," Malfoy's responded immediately, his icy voice somewhat muffled by the mask he still wore. "As expected, once I lined the right men's pockets with gold, my request for entry was accepted without question or hesitation."_

_"You obtained all six of them?" Voldemort inquired, twirling his wand idly._

_"Even better, my Lord," Malfoy answered, pride colouring his tone. "Not only did I get the six that you requested but I also managed to find you a piece of Dumbledore's."_

_A dark smirk stretched across Voldemort's face as he absorbed this news._

_"You have done well, Lucius. It's a pity that your success is still overshadowed by your previous failure to retrieve the Prophecy as well as your failure in the upbringing of young Draco. Crucio."_

_Malfoy's screams echoed around the chamber as the man convulsed under the effects of the curse._

_"Don't fail me again, Lucius," Voldemort drawled, ending the curse._

_Struggling back into an upright position, Malfoy wheezed, "Of course, my Lord."_

_Nodding at his minion's subservience, Voldemort turned his scarlet gaze on the shaking form of Wormtail._

_"Go and fetch Bella, Severus, Avery, Rabastin and Rodolphus," he ordered, his eyes following him as the ex-Marauder practically raced out of the room. Voldemort lazily stroked Nagini as he waited for his selected Death Eaters to arrive, blatantly ignoring the still recovering form of the Malfoy patriarch._

_In no time at all, Wormtail returned with the requested people. Bellatrix immediately threw herself at Voldemort's feet whilst Avery, Rodolphus, Rabastin and Severus came at a much more dignified pace. Voldemort chuckled darkly as he noticed that Severus had come to stand as far away from Lucius as possible. He was well aware of the tension between the two men caused by events surrounding the Malfoy heir's refusal of the Dark Mark and took great pleasure in the fact that neither knew whose side he would take in the dispute. Everyone had assumed that Severus would be punished for helping the child escape but Voldemort had taken no such action yet and that inaction had everyone squirming nervously in suspense._

_"My friends," Voldemort began, pulling his thoughts back to the present and looking at them one by one. "It seems that Lucius was successful in his mission and that our plan will proceed expected tomorrow._

_"Plan?" Severus inquired, his voice carefully neutral. "I was not aware that we had anything planned for tomorrow, my Lord."_

_"But of course, Severus. After all, tomorrow is Halloween and we must celebrate it. I've even prepared a little present for Potter and all his friends. Why," Voldemort smirked, "it almost sounds like you don't want to celebrate Halloween with me, Severus."_

_"Of course I do, my Lord. I am simply regretful of the fact that I seem to be the only one here who did not have prior knowledge of this plan. If I had known earlier, then perhaps I could have been of more assistance to you," Severus covered smoothly._

_"Ah, such loyalty," Voldemort purred creepily. "You need not worry, Severus. You have in fact already been rather helpful in the preparation of this plan. In fact, several of your potions will be instrumental in our victory tomorrow."_

_"I am glad to have been of service, my Lord," Severus bowed, inwardly wondering which potions the Dark Lord had been alluding to._

_"Now," Voldemort continued, this time addressing everyone in the room. "As Severus is unaware of what tomorrow's plan consists of, I will give you a quick recap. At exactly 1pm, Bella, Lucius, Severus and Avery, along with their respective teams, will each Apparate to one of the four designated points in Diagon Alley. Lucius, your area as in front of Gringotts, Bella, yours is at the Leaky Cauldron entrance. Avery, you're to arrive outside Quality Quidditch Supplies and Severus, you and your team will arrive out the front of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Voldemort explained, his lip curling as he spoke the name Weasley. "Rodolphus and Rabastin's teams will already be stationed around Diagon Alley beforehand and are responsible for bringing down the anti-Apparation wards. The objective of this mission is to cause enough wanton destruction and fear to plunge the Wizarding World into chaos and disparage people's faith in the Ministry. I expect this to be pulled off without too many causalities on our side. Is that understood?"_

_"Yes, my Lord," they all intoned in unison._

_"Good. Severus, you are dismissed for tonight. I expect you here tomorrow at precisely twelve."_

_"Very good, my Lord," Severus responded automatically. After kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes, the Hogwarts professor swept out of the room, his cloak swirling behind him._

_"Bella, Lucius, Rudolphus, Rabastin, Wormtail, Avery," Voldemort continued once the door had shut behind his Snape. "You all know what I require you to do tomorrow. Do not fail this task I have set for you. You need to set an example for the others after all."_

_"Yes, my Lord," the Death Eaters responded._

_"Lucius?" Voldemort called as he held his hand out in a silent order. Reaching inside his robes, Malfoy pulled out a small, sealed container and placed it in his master's hand with a bow. Pulling back the lid, Voldemort peered into the dark confines of the container, smiling at what he saw._

_"Will you be taking part in this mission, my Lord?" Rudolphus inquired, his tone suitably respectful._

_"Of course," came the Dark Lord's reply. Reaching his hand inside the container, he pulled out a long, silver hair. "Who else could play the part?"_

* * *

Harry awoke with a start, his heart racing. Sitting up in bed, he shakily raised his arm and wiped the mixture of blood and sweat that coated his forehead off with his pyjama sleeve. Sighing, he grabbed his glasses from his bedside table and quietly got out of bed. As much as he loathed the idea of going to see the Headmaster, he knew that Dumbledore needed to be told about this latest vision. After all, Dumbledore was still the head of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry would be damned if he let his anger at the Headmaster get in the way of preventing bloodshed.

Skirting through secret passages and shortcuts, Harry quickly made his way down to the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office all the while wondering why this vision had felt different from his previous ones. Generally, he only had dreams like this when Voldemort was feeling a particularly strong emotion. This time however, Voldemort had seemed pretty stable in his emotions. Even when Voldemort had cast the _Cruciatus_ curse on Malfoy he hadn't been feeling particularly angry. In fact, Harry had a slight suspicion that he had cast it more out of habit than anything else. So what had changed to allow him to dream of Voldemort without intense emotion instigating the vision? Had his possession by Voldemort at the Department of Mysteries made him more susceptible to seeing visions of Voldemort or was it because today was Halloween, the anniversary of when Voldemort had first tried to kill him?

With these unanswerable questions swirling around his head, Harry didn't even notice that the gargoyle admitted him entrance without him giving the password. Stepping onto the revolving staircase, Harry soon found himself at the office door. Pulling himself out of thoughts and mentally preparing himself for the upcoming confrontation, he knocked on the door. It opened a minute later and Harry entered the room. He wasn't surprised to find Snape already in the room obviously filling Dumbledore in on what Voldemort was planning for later that day.

"Ah, Mr Potter," Dumbledore greeted, remembering Harry's request not to be addressed by his first name. "I assume you're here to inform me about today's raid as well?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied, ignoring Snape's sneer at him. "I saw a bit of what was happening both before and after Professor Snape left the meeting. I figured you'd want to know about it, especially as part of it pertains to you."

"Oh?"

"Before Bellatrix, Avery the Lestrange and Professor Snape were summoned, Voldemort was speaking to Lucius Malfoy. He asked Malfoy whether or not he'd been able to get the six items he had requested. Malfoy said that he had and that he had bribed several people to get into the place where the items were being held. Malfoy then went on to say that he'd even managed to find one of your's there as well," Harry explained.

"One of my what?" Dumbledore interrogated, sitting up in his chair.

"They never actually said what it was they were talking about but after Snape had been dismissed, Malfoy gave him a container from which he had pulled out a long, silver hair. I think it may have been one of yours, sir."

"Severus, you mentioned that Voldemort had said that some of your potions would play a critical role in today's raid. What potions did you make for him that use human hair as an ingredient?" Dumbledore asked, quickly.

Snape's face was pale as he answered, "Polyjuice potion. That was the only potion he requested from me which requires hair."

"That makes sense since Voldemort said that he was going to take part in the mission as no one else could play the part. I'm guessing he's going to be masquerading around as you," Harry reasoned, looking at Dumbledore.

"Did he say anything else? We can assume that the six other items were people's hairs as well. Did either of them say whose?" Dumbledore inquired, his blue eyes, the twinkle absent from his eyes.

"No, they didn't but after Professor Snape was dismissed, Voldemort did say that he was counting on Malfoy, Bellatrix, Avery and the Lestrange brothers to successfully complete their mission. I'm only telling you this because I have a feeling that he was talking about something other than what he told Professor Snape. I don't know what they are though," Harry concluded.

"Hmm… this is bad," Dumbledore stated, his fingers steepled in front of him. "I should have expected this to happen but I always dismissed the possibility that he would use Polyjuice. I'd have thought he would be too arrogant to use such tactics."

"He wants to win," Harry pointed out, getting ready to leave as he had no new information to share. "He wouldn't be the first to go against his principles in order to achieve his goals," he uttered, his gaze levelled at Dumbledore who flinched. "Good night, Professors."

That said, Harry left the room, softly shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The morning passed in a blur for Harry. He was silent through his classes, his mind filled with dreadful imaginings of what may happen that night. He only spoke on two occasions. The first was to explain to Luna and Neville why he was being so antisocial (after hearing what was to happen, they too seemed to withdraw somewhat). The second time was to fill Hermione and Ron in, who he figured had a right to know because of their involvement with the Order. So far, his relationship with the two had been hesitant but pleasant. He knew that it had only been a few weeks since they had accepted his offer to start anew and that they were still in a bit of a honeymoon period but for now, he was happy with how their friendship was progressing.

It had been announced at breakfast that all afternoon classes were cancelled as a Halloween treat so all the students were smiling and laughing in delight as they entered the decorated Hall for lunch at noon. Harry watched them from where he sat unsmiling at the Gryffindor table, wondering what it would be like to be one of those happy students, oblivious to the terrors that were due to happen in an hour's time. Sitting near him, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Luna, who had decided to gatecrash their table, were probably thinking something similar, based on the slightly envious looks on their faces.

Pulling his gaze away from one particularly festive Hufflepuff who had just dunked his whole head in a punchbowl, Harry looked up at the Head table. Like him and his friends, each of them wore a worried, pinched expression on their faces, which would momentarily vanish when a student came to address them, only to return once that student had left. Both Snape and Dumbledore were absent from the table but this went unnoticed by the student body bar four Gryffindors and a lone Ravenclaw.

At twenty to one, McGonagall rose gracefully from her seat and made her way towards them, leaving the untouched food on her plate for the house elves to take care of.

"Mr Potter, Miss Lovegood, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom, come with me," McGonagall ordered when she had reached them. Glancing at each other nervously, the quintet stood up and followed the Transfiguration professor out of the Hall. They were silent as they trailed behind her, each wondering where the Professor was taking them and whether or not they were going to be allowed to fight or not.

They were rather surprised when McGonagall ushered them into the Hospital Wing, which was empty save for Madam Pomfrey. Turning to regard them, McGonagall spoke.

"From the way you are all behaving, I assume that Mr Potter has informed you on what's to happen today?" Upon receiving five nods, she continued. "Naturally, you all wish to be of some assistance?" Once more, her question was answered with five affirming nods. "Well…"

"You're not going to let us fight, are you?" Harry cut her off, folding his arms.

"Of course not, Harry. All of you are far too young to be involved in such things," McGonagall responded gravely.

"Too young?!" Neville exclaimed.

"But we've fought them before and survived!" Ron reminded her.

"If we're willing, why should you stop us?" Luna reasoned calmly.

"You'll need all the help you can get, Professor," Hermione chipped in.

"I never said we wouldn't let you help," McGonagall broke in. "I'm simply saying that you won't be involved in the actual combat. Numerous people will be injured today and Madam Pomfrey will be hard pressed to treat them all on her own. I expect you all to aid her when the time comes."

"But Professor…" Ron began.

"Mr Weasley," Madam Pomfrey suddenly interrupted, "I hope your not insinuating that healing is of lesser importance than fighting!"

Ron gulped as he took in the matron's angry visage and McGonagall, seeing that the matron had their attention, stole quietly out of the room.

"No, ma'am!" he responded, his voice a tad higher than it normally was.

"Good because if you had said yes to that question I would've started crying," she stated, startling them with her honesty. "I know all of you have been involved in this war somewhat," Madam Pomfrey continued, her tone softening significantly, "but I want you all to realise that life does not nor should revolve around fighting and destruction. We fight to create a better world but that does not necessarily make fighting right. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey", they all intoned, each given food for thought.

"Good, now go sit on that bed over there and I'll give you a quick run down on what you'll be doing once the patients arrive."

* * *

All too soon, the clock struck one and each of the five students employed different methods to reign in their impatience and restlessness whilst they waited. Hermione furiously practiced the spells the matron had just taught them, Neville practicing alongside her. Ron drummed his fingers in his leg, his mind dreaming up more and more unlikely scenarios about what could be happening. Harry paced as he was prone to do in such situations. Out of all of them, Luna was the calmest. Once more she was studying the white feather Harry had given her, occasionally muttering to herself.

The first bunch of injured people portkeyed in at about twenty past. The quintet couldn't help but grimace as they took in the awkward angle Kingsley Shacklebolt's arm hung at as he carried in an unconscious Tonks.

"She was hit with an Organ Crushing hex," Shacklebolt puffed as Madam Pomfrey raced over. She quickly got to work force-feeding Tonks the necessary restorative potions, Harry and Ron helping her by fetching whatever she called for. Meanwhile, Hermione quickly healed Shacklebolt's arm with a well-placed spell whilst Neville healed his other wounds. Luna, her white feather abandoned on the bedside table, quickly gave the auror a dose of Pepper-up potion. Smiling his thanks at his quick treatment, the dark-skinned auror portkeyed back to the battle.

Tonks was soon stabilised but there was no time for rest or words as more and more people began portkeying in. The pattern always remained the same. Injured people would arrive. Madam Pomfrey would treat the worst injured whilst the five teens would either aid her or heal the minor wounds. If the patient was able and willing, they would return to Diagon Alley to continue the fight. If not, they would be placed in a bed and monitored. So far only three people had died and they were respectfully placed in a separate room.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients awaiting healing, none of the five students had the time to ask what was happening at Diagon Alley but they were all aware of the piercing looks that they each received whenever a new arrival spotted them. The looks would fade to that of comprehension after a while but a glint of suspicion always remained.

By half past two, word finally came round that the battle was dying down and the Death Eaters were beginning to retreat, much to everyone's relief.

Just as Harry was about to rub healing paste onto a middle-aged man's burns, his scar abruptly exploded in pain.

Biting his lip open in an attempt to stop from screaming, Harry dropped the tub of burn paste and fell to his knees, his hands flying up to press against his heavily bleeding scar. Anger, both intense and murderous, swept through him. He could hear people calling his name but that all faded to background noise as Voldemort's voice echoed inside his skull.

_"THEY FAILED! HE ESCAPED! THE TRAITOR ESCAPED!"_

Feeling the air next to him suddenly displaced, Harry wrenched his bloodshot eyes open to find Dumbledore standing there and yelling for Madam Pomfrey. Harry's eyes widened as he recognised the limp figure of the Snape cradled in the old man's arms.

Their abrupt arrival drew everyone's attention away from Harry, for which he was grateful. Voldemort's emotions were beginning to recede now and Harry was able to pull himself back upright with the aid of a bedside table.

"Get back!" Madam Pomfrey yelled from where she was standing beside the bed Snape had just been placed in. Acquiescing to the upset matron's request, everyone flung themselves backwards. Soon the only people standing within two metres of the bed were herself and Dumbledore on one side and Harry who was leaning heavily on the bedside table on the other. Harry saw Luna and Neville watching him worriedly from behind a crowd of people but Harry just waved a hand to show that he was okay and they didn't need to rush over to him. Hermione and Ron were both towards the front of the crowd but they were both (along with every other person in the room) staring in shock at the still form of their ex-Potions Master.

Harry gasped as he turned his gaze to the greasy-haired man Madam Pomfrey was unsuccessfully attempting to heal. Snape's left arm had been severed just below his elbow. Morbidly fascinated, Harry stared unblinkingly at the bloody and ragged stump that was now the man's left arm.

Voldemort's earlier words sprang back to Harry's mind, their meaning suddenly clear.

_"Bella, Lucius, Rudolphus, Rabastin, Wormtail, Avery… You all know what I require you to do tomorrow…. You need to set an example for the others after all…THEY FAILED! HE ESCAPED! THE TRAITOR ESCAPED!"_

Voldemort knew Snape was the traitor, Harry realised. That was the mission Voldemort set from the five inner circle Death Eaters. Make a public example of Snape for being a traitor. As Voldemort's spurt of anger attested to, they had failed in their task. However, they had managed to chop off his left arm, the arm on which their master's Dark Mark was burned. Snape was no longer a Death Eater.

Harry was drawn back to reality by Madam Pomfrey's helpless exclamation that there was nothing she could do for the man. It seemed that although a magical means had been found to grow back bone, there had yet to be spell or potion developed to grow back entire limbs and since they did not have the severed forearm to reattach, there was nothing that could be done.

Despite his loathing of the man, Harry was horrified by this revelation. Looking around at all the injured people in the room that he had helped treat, knowing that there were three deceased individuals lying in wait inside a neighbouring room, seeing the Potions master now with only hand… It was just too much to bear. Desperately, he turned his gaze down to where his hands clutched at the bedside table in an effort to keep himself standing. They were covered in blood but that's not what caught his eye.

The white feather he had given Luna so many months ago was lying pristine white despite the blood surrounding it, as if waiting to catch his attention. It shone a pale light as his fingers curled around the top of it, warming his numb fingers. He regarded it with awe as he lifted from the pool of blood, marvelling at how white and pure it looked.

As if no longer in control of his body, Harry's eyes trailed instinctively from the white feather he clutched to the ugly stump of Snape's arm, which was only a short distance away from him. Not knowing why but only that he must, Harry abruptly pulled his arm back and in one sweeping, graceful motion, slammed the pointy stem of the feather deep into Snape's stump.

His unexpected action spurred a number of outraged cries as the people around him looked at him in utter shock.

"MR POTTER! WHAT…" Madam Pomfrey began to yell but the words soon died on her lips as the feather began to pulse with a brilliant, silvery-white light.

Everyone watched in awe as the feather began to elongate and thicken into two separate but partly connected pieces. The very tip of the feather then split into five new parts, each part radiating from the same point.

"Sweet Merlin," Dumbledore breathed. "It's turning into bone."

"How is this possible?" Madam Pomfrey whispered, watching as veins, arteries and nerves began to wrap themselves around the bones, muscular tissue encasing them. Three different layers of skin grew one at time, encompassing the muscles, a thin layer of harm spurting from it. Finally, the silvery-white light faded away, leaving in its wake a pale, unblemished and unMarked left arm.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? It's not a very action-packed chapter but I felt that it was time that Harry and co. saw a different side of the war effort, especially as J. K. Rowling pays so little attention to it in the books. What did you think about the feather and Severus' injury?

Accio reviews!!

This chapter's question: If you were in Hogwarts, which house would you be in?


	18. Chapter 18: Mixed Results

**Ends and Means**

Hello everybody! I'm sorry it's taken so long to update but I had Uni exams to worry about. They weren't that difficult but I'm still really glad that they're out of the way and to celebrate, here's my latest update. To be honest, I was a bit lost as to what should happen after the last chapter. The previous updates were all leading up to that point so I had to really think hard on what was to happen next. Don't worry though. I do have a basic outline of what's going to happen in this story, in regards to Harry at least. Also, thanks to all my lovely reviewers. You guys are the bomb!

Replies to reviews: (Since I got so many I'm going to take the lazy way out and answer only the most common queries)

**About Harry's wings and ability to see magic as colour: **Don't worry. You'll learn more about these as the story continues to progress. They will play a more and important role later on.

**About the lack of Ginny, Draco and Lupin so far: **Yes, they kind of haven't appeared in a while. However, the sketchy, half-formed idea in my mind of what the next chapter will be does feature Ginny and Draco and you'll find out a bit about how those two have been faring so far. Remus though, is hard to include, as he doesn't have much cause to go to Hogwarts where the story is mainly set. If anyone has any ideas in regards to Remus, Ginny and Draco, I'd very much appreciate them. There are so many characters in this story that it's really hard for me to think up detailed plots for all of them.

**What Hogwarts house would I be in?: **As many of you pointed out, I forgot to tell you where I'd think I'd go. Personally, I'm not entirely sure. I think I possess the traits of all the houses to some degree. If you asked any of my friends however, I think they'd probably put me in Ravenclaw. Apparently, I'm rather smart. Personally, I think I'm a bit of an idiot but then that's just my rather warped opinion.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Mixed Results**

_Darkness... Floating in a sea of nothingness that stretches across eternity… Warmth and comfort the likes of which he had never experienced. It was safe here in this darkness. Nothing could hurt him and he could hurt nothing. He was finally at peace._

_"What's that?" he murmured to himself as he noticed a pinprick of light up ahead. The light that started off soft and gentle began to intensify, burning into his retinas. Whereas before he had been floating in any random direction, now a wind picked up around him, pushing him towards the growing ball of light._

_"No, go away!" he yelled as he shielded his gaze with his hand… his left hand! The blissful serenity that had filled him earlier vanished as memories began to flash through his mind as he sped towards the light…_

* * *

(A/N: If you haven't worked it out yet, this is a flashback! :)

_Severus Apparated into Diagon Alley with a small pop, a team of bumbling, inexperienced Death Eaters appearing alongside him. Despite them being hidden away in a shadowy side alley, he could still feel the heat radiating from the glowering sun in the sky and he inwardly cursed (and not for the first time) the heavy black cloak and stifling mask that he was required to wear. With a silent signal and a resigned heart, he gestured for his men to begin the mission. As one would expect from the dunderheads he had been given to command, they all immediately disregarded the concept of stealth and chose instead to spring forth from the alley screaming and waving their wands over their heads like morons or worse: first graders._

_Soon enough, Severus could hear the screams of innocent civilians as they fled from the approach of the rampant Death Eaters, who laughed in merriment as they attacked buildings and people indiscriminatingly. Deciding that it wasn't worth risking getting his head blown off by the uncontrolled spells flying off from his men's wands, Severus stayed where he was in hidden in the alleyway, choosing instead to observe what was happening._

_After thirty minutes of watching his men attack the now abandoned shops in their part of the district, Severus began to feel as if something were wrong. His brow furrowed as he tried to work out what about this picture was off and then it hit him. Where were the Order members and the Aurors? They should be here by now so why weren't they?_

_Resolute to get some answers, he ducked out of the alleyway and began to weave his way through the horde of Death Eaters, being careful to keep an eye out for the many stray curses flying through the air. Twice he almost got hit and twice he ended up taking out his frustration on nearby Death Eaters. Fortunately, they soon picked up on the fact that Severus did not like almost getting cursed by his own men and they began to show a bit more restraint and discipline, at least until he was out of range, at which point they'd revert back to their former idiocy._

_Finally getting away from his men, he turned and headed towards the yelling and screaming emanating from out front Gringrotts. Rounding a corner, he couldn't help but groan as he saw the bane of his existence, Harry Potter, fighting in the thick of things. Even in amidst the chaos, the wayward brat was sticking out like a sore thumb because of the glaringly colourful Gryffindor scarf wrapped around his neck. Determined to get close enough to either discreetly hand him a Portkey to get him the hell out of here, pummel him into unconsciousness or hopefully do both, Severus stalked towards the boy. As he approached the brat however, he began to notice things that he hadn't been able to spot at a distance, which made him question whether the young Potter was himself or not. Firstly, from the gleam in his eye, it was evident that the brat was thoroughly enjoying himself as he twirled his wand and rained down destruction. Secondly, Potter wasn't fighting the Death Eaters around him but instead was fighting alongside them, helping to take down the Order members and Ministry Aurors that they were up against. Lastly, and the point that really clinched the matter for Severus, was the fact that Potter wasn't rushing forth into the battle in the heroic and equally suicidal manner in which the boy usually fought. Instead, he was fighting like a Slytherin, doing the most possible damage with minimal power and risk._

_Now having a good idea whose hairs had been used in the Polyjuice potion, Severus quickly scanned the area, whilst simultaneously playing his part and pretending to fight with the Aurors and Order members around him. Sure enough, he soon spotted a familiar shock of pale blond hair and winced as he saw the copy of Luna Lovegood slice open some poor fellow's chest with a Cutting hex. He doubted he would ever view the spacey Ravenclaw in the same way again after witnessing that little display._

_His suspicions confirmed, Severus continued his masquerade of fighting as he looked around to see if he could spot the two youngest Weasley, Longbottom or Granger girl. His search pulled up nothing but he figured that they'd probably be fighting in one of the other areas. From his scan of the crowd, he did become aware of something else though. The Aurors and Order members were hesitant to fight the Potter and Lovegood clones. In Potter's case, the sight of him fighting together with Death Eaters was shocking enough that many people froze momentarily, allowing them to be quickly dealt with by said individual. Lovegood, on the other hand, though not being nearly as famous as Potter, had the edge that she was a petite, fifteen year old girl and thus people were reluctant to harm her._

_Consequently, the Death Eaters were easily overwhelming the resistance as the Aurors' and Order Members' morale sank lower and lower. It was now plain to him why no Order members had showed up in his area. They were all to busy backing up their fellow members. Severus felt a grudging respect form for the Dark Lord for coming up with such an effective plan. All the precautions and advance preparation that Dumbledore had put in place after both he and Potter had informed him of the attack today was basically proving to be worthless. The edge of having Polyjuiced copies of the two students was swinging the favour of the battle to the Death Eaters and was probably having the same effect at the battles being fought in the other areas of Diagon Alley._

_As more time passed however, the tide began to slowly shift back towards the Aurors and Order members. Oddly enough, this began to happen after a decisive attack from the Death Eaters that resulted in several people getting severely injured. Following the standard Order of the Phoenix procedure, these fighters immediately activated their standard-issue emergency Portkey, which would transport them to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Upon their return to the battlefield however, not only were their injuries healed but also their good morale had been restored too. They no longer seemed to care that their enemy wore the face of the 'Chosen One' or that of a young girl, instead fighting them in the same unhesitating manner that they did the masked Death Eaters._

_Not understanding their change in attitude but grateful that their fight wasn't shot to buggery either, Severus began to put a bit more vigour into his own attacks, making sure that he only stunned the Aurors and Order members and covertly taking down Death Eater whenever he could._

_A cheer suddenly sprang up from the Order and the Aurors as Dumbledore suddenly appeared in the centre of the fight. Wearing a vibrantly yellow robe decorated with black crescent moons, and with his long silver hair and beard catching the light of the sun, the man stood out like a beacon of light amidst darkness. Severus was not fooled however and knew that this might be another Polyjuiced copy. His suspicion doubled when a second Dumbledore, wearing the exact same robes popped into existence several metres from the first. The cheering died down as everyone looked from one to the other, trying to work out who was the real one._

_"It was an ingenious plan, Tom but I must ask that you stop this and leave. I cannot allow you to continue such wanton destruction," the first Dumbledore told the second, his voice sounding both sad but resolute at the same time._

_"I'm afraid you took the words straight from my mouth, Tom," the second replied in the exact same tone of voice. "What you have done both today and in the past is unforgivable and I must ask that you cease and desist immediately. It's not too late for you to stop walking this dark path, my boy."_

_Unsure which Dumbledore was the real one, Severus did what everyone else was doing and stared between them both, unaware of the movement towards him until he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to see the Polyjuiced Potter and Lovegood standing impatiently by his side._

_"Quickly now," Potter whispered. "We have another objective to accomplish whilst He keeps everyone distracted."_

_With that said, the two students discreetly dragged him deep into a nearby side alley, no one in the crowd even noticing their disappearance. There, Severus found a Granger, Longbottom and the two Weasley clones already waiting for them._

_"What's this other objective we're supposed to accomplish?" Severus asked quietly, "And why am I only finding out about this now?"_

_"Originally, the Dark Lord wanted only us five to work on this part of the mission and you were supposed to stay with the men. Unfortunately though, his appearance here means that there has been a change in the plan and we now need to achieve this objective as quickly as possible. As the Dark Lord is distracting everyone else at the moment, you're now free to aide us," Granger stated in a logical way that would have matched her character exactly if it weren't for the fact that she had pressed herself flush against Severus as she'd spoken._

_"Get off me, Bella," he ground out, easily recognising the insane woman even in her disguise._

_Granger just cackled in response and pushed him up against the wall instead, holding him in place with her body. Growling in annoyance, he tried to shove her away but was stopped by Longbottom and the Weasley boy who each grabbed one of his arms to stop his movement. Taking advantage of Severus restricted movement, the Death Eater pretending to be Ginny Weasley snatched the wand from Severus' hand before he had a chance to use it._

_Angry with himself for falling into such a situation, Severus fell back on his Slytherin instincts. Using his Occlumency to lock away all his emotions, he smoothed out his face and addressed the Lovegood copy in a neutral voice._

_"What is going on here? The Dark Lord will not be happy that you are compromising the success of your mission in order to gang up on me," he sniped._

_"Ah, but Severus," Lovegood smiled, "you are our mission."_

_"Did you seriously think that the Dark Lord was unaware of your treachery, Severus," Longbottom added, readying his wand._

_"I'm going to have so much fun breaking you," Bella purred into his ear as she dragged her nails harshly across his cheek, drawing blood in the process._

_"We're going to make you pay, Severus," Ginny Weasley grinned maniacally._

_"We're going to make you scream and beg, so much so that people all over England will hear your cries; the cries of a traitor," Ron Weasley chuckled._

_"And thus, everyone will learn just what will happen to those defy our Lord," Potter continued smoothly. "Firstly though, we shall have to remove your Dark Mark, as you no longer have the right to wear it," he smirked, pulling out a large, sharp knife that was decorated with a serious of small runes. "Rudolphus, hold out his arm please."_

_With a grin the clone of Ron Weasley shifted his grip on Severus' arm to allow Potter a clean shot of the aforementioned limb. Severus tried to struggle free but with his wand gone and three people holding him down against a wall, he couldn't break free._

_"This is what you get for your betrayal, Severus," Potter smirked, his face beginning to morph into Lucius Malfoy's as the effects of the Polyjuice potion began to fade away._

_A sense of fear that Severus hadn't felt for years swept over him as he watched the half Potter, half Malfoy creature swing the knife in a downward arc. For a second, time seemed to stand still for Severus as his adrenalin peaked and his heartbeat resonated in his ears. Then time sped up once more and a burst of pain the likes of which he'd never experienced before filled him, causing him to throw his head back and scream. The pain was overwhelming and for a second, Severus almost let the darkness claim him. Instead however, he bit down on his lip and using all his will power, tried to block out the pain. This was a technique that he had employed many times over his life but even with his significant force of mind, it was still impossible to block it out completely. It was enough however, for him to notice that his captors had finally reverted back to their true forms and that their grips on him had slackened slightly as they laughed at his pain. With a burst of strength fuelled by his survival instincts, Severus ripped away from his captors and using his only remaining hand, pushed them away into each other before bolting out of the alley, his bleeding stump of an arm held protectively against his chest._

_The Death Eaters, who he now knew for certain, were Bellatrix, Lucius, Rabastin, Rudolphus, Nott and Avery, chased after him, shooting spells as they ran. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for Severus, the clothes they had donned for their disguises were now taking their toll on the Death Eaters. Potter was a great deal smaller than the Malfoy patriarch was and thus Lucius was now struggling to run in his way too small clothes. Even worse off were Nott and Rudolphus who had been Polyjuiced as Lovegood and Ginny Weasley respectively and thus were repeatedly tripping over themselves as they tried to run in their tiny girls' uniforms. Of them all, only Bella and Avery were well off; Bella being used to wearing small, tight clothing and Avery because of Ron Weasley's tall frame. Hence, it was these two who held the biggest threat to Severus at the moment. Luckily though, the alley was filled with piles of odds and ends, which Severus could duck behind in order to avoid spells. It wasn't long before Severus was back in front of Gringotts where the battle had started up once again, both Dumbledores taking part._

_Suddenly, a strong Cruciatus curse ripped into Severus back, throwing him into the throes agony. With his pain threshold already overwhelmed because of the earlier attack on his arm, Severus couldn't control himself and let out a yell, falling to the ground, his mask slipping off his face as he did so._

_He yelped once more in pain as his severed hand, which he had instinctively thrown out to break his fall, slammed into the ground but this was nothing compared to the torture he went through when Lucius deliberately stepped down onto the stump. This time, the scream that was forced from his throat was so loud that the people around him all paused in their battle in order to see who was yelling. Upon spotting him, Lupin, who was the closest Order member at the time, raced over calling Dumbledore's name as he did so. Using his werewolf-enhanced strength, Lupin rammed into the Malfoy patriarch and sent the blonde man flying into Avery and Bella. Following Lupin's example, the other Order members in the area began to fight with the Death Eaters in earnest once more._

_Both Dumbledores on hearing Lupin's call, had begun to race over towards the prone form of Severus. Through half-lidded eyes, Severus watched as they both approached him and upon reaching him, both raised their wands. His pain induced mind watched enraptured as two spells were shot towards him, one a pale gold, the other a startlingly brilliant shade of green that looked just like Lily's eyes…_

_PHWOOSH!_

_His body went flying into the air as the pale gold spell reached him first, the green spell hitting the ground where he had been lying but a second before. His body continued to rise off the ground, like a doll thrown into the air by a careless child. The wind soared in his ears as his barely there mind watched the scene below him in utter fascination even as his sight began to blur. The black blobs were outnumbered by the coloured blobs and were beginning to pop out of existence. The two blindingly gold and silver blobs were throwing different streams of colour before one of them vanished along with the last blob of black._

_The last thought that passed through Severus' befuddled mind before the darkness finally claimed him was how nice the wind felt as he plummeted back down to the ground._

* * *

With an abrupt jerk, Severus woke up. His heartbeat was racing as he felt the bed bounce below him as if he had really fallen from a height of a hundred metres like in his dream. His eyes fluttered open as he consciously began to calm his heartbeat down and regulate his breathing. Once he had regained something akin to his normal composure, he began to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do next.

Severus had always prided himself on his ability to face reality head on. Even though he easily lied to other people, he never lied to himself. He found there was no merit in kidding himself and thus, always forced himself to face his problems in their entirety. Hence, although the pain was still fresh in his mind, he knew he needed to accept that he had lost half his arm. What made this all the more painful though was the fact that he understood that above everything else, it was his potion-making skills that made him a useful and even valuable asset to society. Without them, he was simply a waste of space, at least in his mind.

Gritting his teeth as bitterness overwhelmed him, he mustered up his courage and forced his gaze to centre on his missing hand… or at least where his missing hand was meant to be.

His jaw dropped open as he raised his intact left arm closer to his face and began to inspect it. It looked like his arm. It had the same sallow skin that he possessed and was identical to his original arm down to the very last chip in his nail but it couldn't be his arm. Firstly, he was absolutely positive that Malfoy had cut it off and he knew for a fact that medicinal magics had yet to progress far enough for whole limbs to be grown. It could have been that someone had found his severed arm and reattached it but the lack of the Dark Mark ruled that theory out. The Dark Lord had specially designed the Mark in such a way that it was near impossible to removed it once it had been branded onto the skin. So what in Merlin's name was going on?

"You're awake, Professor," Luna stated unnecessarily as she entered the small room he was currently residing in. Severus easily recognised it as one of the small, private rooms in the Hospital Wing.

"Why are you here, Miss Lovegood?" he inquired, his voice coming out scratchily. He regarded the pale girl cautiously, the memory of her clone cutting open someone's chest during the battle still in his mind.

"Two reason, sir," she answered as she poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. "Firstly, as Madam Pomfrey and the others are still busy dealing with the other patients, I've been instructed to monitor your condition."

"And the second reason?"

Her eyes lit up as she replied, "Research purposes."

"Research?" he questioned, his forehead furrowing slightly.

"Yes, research," she repeated, taking a small blue notebook from her pocket. She flipped through the first dozen or so pages each filled with strange symbols and obscure writing until she reached a new page. "From the data I'd already gathered from previous observations and experiments, I had deduced that the feather would have some powerful properties but this latest development has blown all my theories clear out of the water. I wonder if it is only limited to the regrowth of bodily extensions or if it can be utilised for other purposes as well? Does it only work in specific conditions and circumstances? Are there any side effects?" Luna wondered aloud happily, her Ravenclaw love for knowledge coming out in full force.

For Severus who had always viewed the girl as someone whose head was firmly stuck in the clouds (to put it nicely), seeing her so focused was a surreal experience. For her to be speaking in such rapt elation whilst staring almost lovingly at his arm however, was downright terrifying, though he would never admit it to anyone.

"Miss Lovegood, what the hell are you talking about?" he growled out, pulling his arm away from her when she went to grab it.

"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore chuckled, as he entered the room. "There's no need to be rude to Miss Lovegood."

"Albus, what happened?" Severus asked, now desperately wanting to know.

"Miss Lovegood, would you mind if I spoke to Professor Snape privately?" Dumbledore inquired, ignoring Severus' question.

"Of course, Professor," Luna replied, placing her notebook back in her pocket. "I'll return when you're asleep, Professor," she informed Severus as she headed out the door. "It'll be much easier to conduct my experiments on you when you're unconscious, after all."

Albus snickered as Severus' eyes bugged slightly at her parting words.

"She's always been an interesting one," he smiled as he took the seat beside Severus' bed.

"A case of the pot calling the kettle black if I ever saw one," came Severus' sardonic response. "Though this time, I think it may be justified but that's not important right now. Albus, what happened? I remember clearly up to the point where you and the Polyjuiced Dark Lord both sent spells at me but then everything goes a bit fuzzy. I also recall flying through the air for some reason…"

"Yes, that was me," Albus answered, handing him another glass of water before pouring one for himself. "Tom cast the _Avada Kedavra_ at you. Fortunately, the levitation charm I cast beat his to you and lifted you off the ground before the Killing curse hit you. In my haste however, I made it slightly more powerful than I'd originally intended and consequently you went flying about a hundred metres or so in the air. By the time you landed though, we had successfully chased off the last of Tom's forces and easily caught you. Then I raced you back here in the hopes that Poppy could somehow heal your arm."

"How did she do it?" Severus inquired, holding up his intact limb and marvelling at it.

"She didn't," Albus answered. "According to her, without the actual limb to reattach, she could do nothing and as we had no idea where your arm was or whether or not it was still even in one piece, we had all but lost hope," he confessed.

"What happened then?" Severus demanded. "If that's the case, then how the hell is this possible?" he continued, waving his arm in front of the Headmaster's face.

"Harry," Albus stated simply.

"What!? Potter? What in Merlin's name did he do?"

"Well, no one knows why he did it. Even he himself, is a little unsure on the matter but for some reason, upon seeing… what remained of you arm, he grabbed one of those white feathers of his and stabbed it in."

"WHAT?!" Severus winced as that mental image filled his mind. The irony that Potter had grown back the arm that Malfoy Polyjuiced as Potter had cut off in the first place was not lost on the man either. Ignoring his exclamation, Albus continued speaking.

"The feather than proceeded to turn into bone, veins, muscles, nerves and finally skin, the finished product being a healthy and perfectly functional arm. Incredible, isn't it?"

Severus nodded dazedly as his mind processed this latest revelation. He was aware of Potter's white feathers from what Draco had told him and had often seen the Lovegood girl staring at one but although he was curious about them, had never really expected them to be of worthwhile study. They were Potter's after all. Now he finds out that just one of these feathers was capable of growing back his severed arm! He suddenly understood Lovegood's fascination with her research for he too felt the itch to run experiments on the thing. Now was not the time, however.

"Albus, the battle in Diagon Alley, how did we fare?"

"Ah, I'm afraid we have mixed results when it comes to that matter. On the one hand, there were very few deaths or serious injuries on our side. The buildings themselves sustained some damage but they can easily be rebuilt. The combined might of both Ministry Aurors and Order members was enough to hold back the Death Eaters from progressing too far and our knowledge of where they would attack gave us at least some advantage."

"But?" Severus prompted.

"Two things swung the balance in their favour."

"I take it that one of those was their use of Polyjuice potion?"

"Yes. I assume you saw the effect that that had on the morale of the men?" Upon seeing Severus' nod, he continued. "Although the Order members were informed that Tom would make use of Polyjuice potion, they did not know whose hairs were to be used. It was very clever of them to use the hairs of the six whom went to the Department of Mysteries last June. After all, as they were able of leave school and get to London by themselves once before, it is now entirely plausible that those six could manage to do so again."

"That knowledge coupled with the fact that they are all children and one is the 'Chosen One' was enough to cause the members to hesitate in the fight," Severus recalled. "That seemed to stop after a while though."

"Yes, it turns out that Minerva had the foresight to put them under Poppy's command, thus enabling them to help in the battle without actually being put at any risk. Consequently, when an Order member was injured fighting one of the clones, they would Portkey into the Hospital Wing only to find all the real students ready to tend their wounds. Well, I say all the students but in reality only five of them were in the Hospital Wing at the time. From what Mr Potter tells me, he did not inform Miss Weasley about the situation, as he hadn't seen her all day. So, she's most likely in the dormitory with all the other students. In any case, seeing the five of them in the Hospital Wing allowed the Order members to put any doubts out of their minds when they faced the Polyjuiced Death Eaters later on," Albus concluded.

"What was the other thing that swung the battle in the Dark Lord's favour?" Severus asked.

At this point in the conversation, Albus sighed and leaned back into the chair.

"It turns out that the charge on Diagon Alley was just a diversion to distract everyone from the real objective."

"Which was?"

"The Ministry of Magic, or more specifically, the Minister Scrimgeour himself."

"Did they succeed?" Severus interrogated with bated breath. A successful assassination on the newly elected Minister of Magic inside the Ministry of Magic itself would be a crippling blow to both the Government and the people's faith in them. Wizarding Britain would be thrown into chaos and fear if such a prominent figure were killed in the very heart of the country especially so soon after the Death Eaters invasion of the Department of Mysteries less than five months ago.

"It was very close," Albus answered grimly. "If it weren't for Rufus' assistant's quick thinking, he would have died."

"His assistant…?" Severus trailed off.

"…jumped in front him and was killed," Albus finished grimly. "I reached the scene in time to stop another attack but I was too late to save the secretary."

"But how did the Death Eaters get so close to the Minister in the first place? I thought security had been greatly upgraded after that fiasco with the Department of Mysteries."

"It has been but it seems that there are still some gaps that need to be fixed up."

"What gaps would they be? There's no way that a group of Death Eaters would be able to get in even with a disguise."

"Though it's true that more scrutiny is paid to groups of people, I never said that it was a group of Death Eaters that infiltrated the Ministry."

"You mean it was just one?!" Severus frowned. "How did he manage that?"

"He was Polyjuiced as me and as I frequently visit the Ministry, the guards have become quite lax when it comes to security involving me."

"But I thought Potter said that the Dark Lord would be the one disguised as you. Wait! The Dark Lord entered the Ministry alone!?"

"Yes, it seems Tom was so sure that we would fall for his diversion that he was willing to infiltrate the Ministry on his own and he was right. We played right into his hand and only extremely good luck and the sacrifice of a life stopped him from succeeding."

"You did not make him aware of the Voldemort's plans today then?"

"I did but I deliberately failed to mention Tom's plan to use Polyjuice," Albus confessed, wearily.

"Why?"

"Because I am absolutely certain that if he knew Tom was going to impersonate me, then he would have locked me in a cell for the day just to make sure that I'm not the fake. You know how maniacal Rufus can be in regards to issues like this and I felt that I would do much more good helping in the fight then sitting idly in a cell."

"Taking such a gamble is unlike you," Severus pointed out, suddenly feeling a tad suspicious.

"Alas, I felt it was one that needed to be taken. I'm just glad that the dice rolled in my favour. Lemon drop?" he offered, holding out the little, yellow lolly.

"No, thanks," Severus declined, his suspicion easing after that purely Dumbledore offer.

"Anyway, hopefully I've given you enough information to satisfy your curiosity for a while. There will be a full Order meeting on later tonight so that everyone can get a full debriefing. I should leave you now," Albus declared, easing himself out of the chair. "If I stay much longer, I shudder to think what Poppy will do to me. You need your rest after all, my boy, so try to get some sleep. I'll send Miss Lovegood in to watch you," he smiled, eliciting a sour expression on the Potions Master's face.

"Do so and your lemon drops will never be the same again," Severus threatened.

Albus just chuckled in reply as he stepped out of the room.

"I'm glad your still with us, my boy," the old man commented quietly, as he shut the door behind him.

Remembering the comforting darkness and warmth that had enveloped him before he had woken up, Severus couldn't bring himself to agree.

* * *

A/N: And so ends the latest update. Now that my exams are over, I should hopefully be back to my usual fortnightly updates. Remember to review please. Onegai shimasu!!

This chapter's question: What form would your Patronus take?

Remember, a Patronus takes the shape of something you trust to defend yourself. Let your imagination run wild!!


	19. Chapter 19: Facing Reality

**Ends and Means**

Hi everybody! _*ducks behind wall as rotten vegetables, bricks and obscenities are hurled*_ It has been a while hasn't it. Don't worry. I'm not going to plague you with excuses and half-arsed promises. I do want to say thanks to all my readers and reviewers though. You guys are awesome and I'm grateful that you've stuck around despite my recent absence. Cheers!

**Responses to reviews:**

**On people's patroni:** I have to give special mention to the following people and their chosen patronus forms, simply 'cause I thought they were hilarious:

**ShinoHina4eva** (Neji from Naruto), **The French Dark Lord** (An Imperial super star destroyer firing silver laser beams, or better yet, a death star patronus, destroying all the dementors in a row!), **SunStar Kitsune** (a toss up between my mother with a baseball bat, and my father on his motorcycle) and **HikaruOfDreams** (a rabid garden gnome).

**To the people who want more Draco, Ginny and Remus: **Do not despair. Time line-wise, I've only covered the first two months of the school year. There'll be plenty of time for them to make their appearance. This story will probably only cover the course of Harry's sixth year, by the way.

**Chapter 19: Facing Reality**

* * *

Harry sighed for the umpteenth time, making a show of looking at his watch despite the fact that the hands in his watch hadn't moved since the Second task of the Triwizard Tournament two years ago. Once more making the resolution of getting the damn thing fixed, Harry sighed again, this time loud enough to elicit a frustrated answering sigh from Madam Pomfrey.

"For the last time, Mr Potter, you are not leaving that bed until I'm satisfied that you have completely recovered from your earlier trauma," she stated as she tucked his sheets in tighter around him with a casual flick of her wand.

"But I feel fine, Madam Pomfrey, and it's not like I haven't dealt with this kind of pain before…" Harry trailed off upon seeing her frowning face.

"No means no," she firmly declared, glaring at him in a way that was almost challenging.

"This sucks," he groaned resignedly. He hated lying in bed doing nothing. Whether it was because of the Dursleys always making him work constantly or the fact that his life so far had been filled with conspiracies, death threats and crazy adventures, Harry didn't know. All he knew was the result was his being unable to stand long periods of doing nothing, especially when he felt that there was something he should be doing. It didn't matter where he was or whom he was with; he always had to do something.

"Stupid bed rest," he mumbled grumpily, as he gazed dully at the boring white décor of his private room. He had been placed in here as the main room of the Hospital Wing was still playing host to various people injured in the battle at Diagon Alley.

"Honestly, Mr Potter," Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "You really need to stop playing down these attacks of yours. Mental trauma is not something to be taken lightly no matter how often it occurs. Mental strain can potentially cause severely detrimental effects to both your psyche and your body. We must be especially cautious now as your mind is probably still recovering from the release of your mind block."

Harry frowned and averted his gaze at the mention of his mind block. He still wasn't completely comfortable with the topic though it had been almost two and a half months since its removal. Truth be told, the memory of that fateful day when he was four had joined the other nightmares that plagued him in the dead of the night, making sleep even harder to come by.

He shuffled uncomfortably as he felt the matron's pointed gaze. He knew what she was going to say even before she spoke.

"Have you talked to anyone yet, Harry?" she inquired, deliberately using his first name. "I'm always here if you need someone to listen and if not me then you should talk to somebody else. I know that some memories are intensely personal and painful to think about, let alone discuss, but it needs to be done all the same. Talking will help to ease the weight of the burden. Don't try to handle this alone," she implored, seating herself on the edge of the bed.

Realising that she wasn't going to let the matter drop without a response, Harry turned his gaze to his fidgeting hands as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

"I know I should talk to someone about this," he murmured in a low voice, "but I can't even bring myself to think about it let alone discuss it with someone."

"I know it is difficult," Madam Pomfrey replied, after a brief pause, "but you can't run from this, Harry. Avoiding reality will only lead to more heartache and pain in the future, and you have already suffered so much as it is." Raising a hand, she tenderly ran it through his messy mop of hair in a soothing motion. "Let me tell you a little story," she suggested, continuing her ministrations.

"I'm not a child, ma'am," Harry joked weakly, though inwardly he was warmed by the thought of receiving one of the many childhood experiences he had so far missed out on.

"Humour me," she smiled, before beginning her tale. "There once lived a young man named Dorian. He was a handsome youth who belonged to an affluent family. He was loved and respected by all for he was a fair and just man, forgiving to a fault and always willing to help any that needed it. His father was so proud of his son's willingness to help the less fortunate, that on his eighteenth birthday, he presented him with a beautiful, crimson velvet cloak so all would know his son and could come to him when they needed aide.

But one day, someone took advantage of Dorian's generous nature and swindled from him much of his fortune before fleeing. This caused Dorian and his household much grief, as they were no longer able to support themselves and had to resign themselves to working hard just to make ends meet. Dorian was understandably angry with the swindler, but he buried that anger and sense of betrayal deep inside himself, and instead focused on continuing his life.

Despite this setback, Dorian was favoured by fortune and soon he and his family were living comfortably once more. Then it happened again. Dorian, refusing to see anything but good in his fellow man, was once more tricked into losing much of his wealth and once more, his family was left to pick up the pieces. Dorian's feelings of betrayal and anger were much stronger this time around, but like the previous time; he locked away those negative emotions and refusing to acknowledge that ugly side of human nature.

This destructive cycle of building up his fortune only to have it taken from him through trickery occurred again and again as Dorian's life progressed, and each time, he locked away his anger and his betrayal. Despite the pleading of his family, he refused to see the dark side of human nature and they suffered for his stubbornness.

Then one day, when he was at the height of his wealth, a young beggar man came to ask for assistance. The man's source of income had been agriculture but recent storms had ravaged the land, destroying all his crops and leaving him and his family starving. After hearing the man's story, Dorian just looked at him. He took in the man's emaciated frame, his torn and stained clothes and the desperate, pleading look in the man's eye. Then he just turned and walked away. He felt nothing for the man or his suffering. He felt nothing about anything. Over the years he had locked so much of himself away that he no longer felt anything at all. His choice to lock away all his negative emotions in order to escape the harsh reality of human nature had led him to lose sight of reality altogether. He was now simply a shell of a man, drifting wraithlike through the world, unable to feel anything.

And then, he died. He had lost so much of himself that his body simply faded out of existence. All that was left of him was the cloak that his father had given him so many years ago. Once a brilliant crimson colour, it faded to a translucent black as Dorian's spirit left this realm, and the heavy, velvet fabric turned into wispy, ghostlike material, as intangible as Dorian himself grew to be," Madam Pomfrey finished in a whisper.

Neither said a word when the tale ended, each too caught up in their own thoughts. Eventually, the matron rose from the bed and quietly left the room. For once, Harry was content to just lie in bed and do nothing.

* * *

"Now that we are all here," Dumbledore began, ushering with his hands for silence, "we can begin the debriefing of today's battle."

"Why are the kids here?" Molly Weasley inquired, ignoring the scowl she received from the so-called 'kids'. "I thought we agreed that they would only be told what they needed to know."

"You are, of course, correct, my dear. However, as they were, unfortunately, indirectly involved in today's events, I think it is prudent for them to attend. The Daily Prophet will no doubt be covering today's events, so it is important that they are prepared for what may come tomorrow."

"That doesn't explain why this git is here," Ron called out, gesturing rudely at Draco.

"Ron!" Hermione and Mrs Weasley scowled in unison, causing some of the some of the tension in the room to ease slightly as people chuckled.

"What do you mean we were 'indirectly involved in today's events'?" Ginny inquired from where she sat between Draco and Ron, who were trying (and failing) to subtly throw glares at each other.

Dumbledore met her eyes solemnly and began his recount of the battle.

"Today, at approximately 1pm, several groups of Death Eater's apparated to different locations throughout Diagon Alley and began an attack. Fortunately, due to information received earlier that morning, the Order had already been prepared for the attack and were able to respond quickly. The fight got out of control, however, when Death Eaters polyjuiced as Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley and Mr Longbottom appeared and began to fight against the Order. Obviously, the Order members were hesitant to fight against the polyjuiced forms and morale dropped. Fortunately, due to Minerva's earlier foresight," he acknowledged with a nod, "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr Longbottom and Miss Lovegood were helping Madam Pomfrey with the injured who portkeyed into the infirmary. Their presence allowed the Order members to realise that the students on the battlefield were simply copies and thereafter, no longer hesitated in their attacks once they returned to the fight."

Thinking back to the suspicious looks they had received whilst working in the infirmary, the five students nodded to themselves, finally understanding what had happened.

"It seems, however, that the attack on Diagon Alley was simply a distraction in order to hide the true motives of today's attack. The first was the assassination of the Minister of Magic inside the Ministry itself," Dumbledore stated, ignoring the looks of shock from many present. "Luckily, though not complete, we did have a little forewarning in regards to this, and consequently, we were able to stop the attempted assassination of Minister Scrimgeour. Sadly, an innocent life was lost," Dumbledore paused again, this time to bow his head in remembrance.

"How did the assassin get through security?" Remus asked, tearing his gaze away from Harry for the first time that night. "The Ministry has upped security recently. How in the world did they manage to get in?"

"I'm afraid that I am at least partly responsible for this," the headmaster confessed. "I have gone to the Ministry so often in my lifetime that security measures have become slightly lax in regards to my admittance. Voldemort, polyjuiced as me, simply walked in without a care."

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was the assassin?!" various people throughout the room exclaimed.

"Yes, but as I said, his attempt failed due to the Minister's assistant's sacrifice. I arrived just in time to stop a second attempt. Voldemort and I fought for a while in the Ministry, but upon seeing his plan foiled, he apparated into Diagon Alley and I quickly followed, guessing correctly where he had gone. Luckily, due to Remus and several other Order members, we were able to discover Voldemort's other objective, which was the murder of Severus Snape."

At this the entire room turned to regard the dark-haired man, who stood in the shadows behind his godson.

"It seems that over time, Voldemort had become aware of Severus spying for us and set several prominent Death Eaters the task of making an example of him. Severus was able to escape but not without the loss of his arm. Thanks to Mr Potter and his… instinctive reflexes however, Severus' arm was recovered."

"What are you talking about?" Alastor Moody gruffly asked, his question mirrored in the faces of many around him. Before Dumbledore could reply, Madam Pomfrey answered.

"You are aware that medicinal magic has not yet advanced to the stage of regrowing entire parts of the body, are you not?" Upon receiving an affirmative grunt, she continued. "Severus' left arm had been completely severed from below the elbow. There is no conventional method to heal that kind of wound."

"But there has to be," Remus cut in. "I can see both his arms clearly," he pointed out.

"Yes, that is where Harry comes in," the matron continued, causing everyone's heads to swivel towards aforementioned person, who sat hunkered down between Luna and Neville. "Harry used one of those white feathers of his to grow back Severus' arm. Don't ask me how," she added, as she saw half the room's occupants open their mouths, "all I can tell you is what I saw and that was Harry stabbing the feather into what remained of Severus' arm and the consequent growing of a new arm."

The people who had been present to witness the event nodded in agreement to her statement, their eyes firmly locked on Harry. Harry, for his part, gazed firmly at his own fidgeting hands.

"What do you mean 'one of those white feathers of his'?" Neville questioned, after a pause. Recalling that his friend didn't know what had happened earlier that summer, Harry shifted uncomfortably before quietly murmuring, "I'll tell you later."

The meeting ended shortly after that as there was no more news to share and everyone seemed to want time to sort out their thoughts. Harry gestured Luna and Neville to follow him, giving a small wave to Hermione and Ron as he watched them head towards Gryffindor dormitory. He, Luna and Neville headed the opposite way towards the Room of Requirement, Harry using the Marauder's Map to make sure that they were not being followed. He took a deep breath as he pulled open the door and led them inside. Pomfrey's earlier story had got him thinking and in the end, he had decided that even though it made his gut wrench, it was finally time to release all the things that he had buried deep within his heart.

"Take a seat, guys," he requested, gesturing at the plush, red couch positioned in the centre of the room.

Harry had wanted a soothing, comfortable room and as usual, the Room had provided his wish. The only furniture was the couch on which they were now seated with him in the middle and the small side table where Harry placed the map. Before them was a fireplace, a cheerily burning fire already present. Numerous candles littered the rooms, each glowing faintly. The most beautiful feature however, would be the small moat that encircled the perimeter of the room. The water caught the light of the fire causing it to shimmer hypnotically whilst the gentle sound of the constantly flowing water provided a calming background noise.

"What I'm going to tell you both is something that I haven't spoken to anyone else about," Harry began, his gaze firmly fixed on the fire in front of him. "Luna, you already know a little bit of this but I have never taken the time to give you the whole truth, even though I probably owe it to you and your father the most. Neville, a lot of what I'm going to tell you may be shocking, but I really hope you'll hear me out."

Out of his peripheral vision, Harry saw both nod their heads.

"I'd also like to ask that you both keep what I am to tell you to yourselves," he continued.

Once more, both nodded.

"Both of you are aware that occasionally I receive visions regarding Voldemort's activities. What you probably don't know is that last year, I began to learning Occlumency under Snape's tutelage on Dumbledore's orders."

Seeing the questioning look on their faces, Harry explained.

"Occlumency is the art of securing your mind from Legilimency attacks. Legilimency is basically the ability to enter someone else's mind. Legilimency allows you to read a person's thoughts, memories and emotions. It can even be used to manipulate a person's actions, implant thoughts and doubts or even erase their minds altogether, though cases like that are rare due to the sheer power needed for such strong attacks."

"That's horrible," Neville exclaimed, shuddering despite the warmth of the room.

"It is," Harry agreed, still not looking directly at either of them, "and the worst part is that if you are not versed in Occlumency or do not have a particularly sensitive mind, then it is doubtful that you are even aware that your mind is being invaded. You are completely oblivious. That is by the by, however. As I said before, I began to learn Occlumency from Snape in the hopes that I would be secure from mental attacks and that my dreams about Voldemort would cease. I did not try hard enough though and ultimately, that resulted in putting my friends in danger and the death of my godfather," Harry murmured darkly, his hands tensed into fists. "It was my fault."

Neville and Luna said nothing as they watched tears roll down Harry's cheeks. Instead, they both reached out and each covered one of his fists with their own hands. Harry, grateful for the silent comfort, pulled himself together and continued his speech.

"This summer, I fell into a cross between a depression and a rage. Dumbledore made me return to my relatives' house for the start of the summer. My relatives hate anything to do with magic, so I was basically isolated from the Wizarding world and Dumbledore wouldn't let anyone send me news or information. I spent most of my time alone in my room, doing homework, working out or more often than not, brooding. I had no one to talk to but Hedwig because to my relatives, I am just a freak and a burden. They abhor magic that much.

Eventually, Dumbledore deigned to allow me out of the house and I ended up in an even worse environment. I was dragged to my godfather's house. They even put me in his old room, which is the last thing I needed considering how much I blame myself for his death. I was told I was to be continuing my Occlumency lessons again with Snape. This time, they even subjected me to having an audience. During my first lesson, Snape chanced upon a memory block in my mind. Dumbledore reckoned that the memory block might have been responsible for my lack of magical prowess. Apparently, I haven't lived up to their expectations of the Boy-Who-Lived," Harry spat out bitterly. "I didn't want them to remove it but McGonagall explained to me the dangers of letting it remain, so in the end, I acquiesced."

"Dumbledore and Snape went into my mind and removed the mental barrier and I got to relive my worst memory."

At this point, Harry's voice dropped to a whisper as the lump in his throat grew.

"For so long, I had always thought that my relative's hate of magic was unfounded and unreasonable. I thought that it was just a matter of jealousy or fearing the unknown. But it wasn't. I was the one who had made them feel that was. When I was very young, despite a few misgivings, they had actually embraced my magic. They treated me like their own son, supporting and encouraging my use of magic as long as I was discreet. Then one night when I was four, I noticed some magical markings on my back. Thinking back, it's obvious that it was a seal of sorts, but I didn't know that back then. All I knew was that the marks made my back itchy and I wanted to get rid of them. So I used my magic and forcefully removed them. With the seal gone, wings sprouted from my back and I was so happy because my cousin and I thought that I must be an angel. But my relatives didn't see it that way. My Aunt knew a bit about the Wizarding world because of mother, and she recognised that having wings wasn't normal.

Terrified, my uncle and aunt's fear of magic peaked, and they decided that this was too much. My aunt took my cousin from the room, and my uncle proceeded to try and tear my wings from my body. It hurt so much, especially as my uncle couldn't fully pull either out of my body. But what hurt even more was the fact that my uncle began to call my 'Boy.' At that moment, I realised that my magic had caused my uncle to no longer see me as his relative. My wings had cost me my family, and that shattered me. My magic reacted to my emotions, I sealed both my wings and my memories away. But the damage was already done. My relatives feared me after that. Slowly, that fear turned into contempt, the end product being the spiteful, bigoted people they are now. And it was all because of me.

When I woke up after the removal of my memory block, I needed to get out. I loathed myself for what the changes in my relatives. I loathed the wings that were once more present on my back. Combined with my grief and guilt over both Cedric and Sirius' deaths and my feelings of betrayal that those I considered friends and family saw me simply as the Boy-Who-Lived and not as Harry, I needed an escape. I hid away my depression and focused on anger instead. I let my rage consume me and used it to aid my escape from that place. I went to Luna's house where I hid and recuperated. You don't know how grateful I am to you and your father," he sobbed to Luna. "You were the only one who I could turn to then. You were the only one who I knew would let me stay without any expectations of explanation or payment. It was the only place I could think of where I could hide from the world and lick my wounds. Thank you."

"Oh, Harry," Luna whispered tearfully, placing a comforting arm around his frame, "what are friends for?"

At those words, any remaining restraints on his emotions broke, and for the first time in a long time, Harry broke down.

"Thank you for telling us," Neville added, embracing Harry in much the same way Luna was. "Thank you for trusting us."

They remained in that position for the rest of the night, arms wrapped tightly around each other, silently comforting one another as they contemplated the words they had just heard. When midnight rolled around, none were awake to notice the name Peter Pettigrew, which suddenly appeared at the edge of the Marauder's Map.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? This chapter basically marks the end of this arc of the story, so to speak (at least that's how it is in my mind). The story should start progressing a bit more plot-wise from the next chapter on. Look forward to it, ne!

**This week's question:** Which pairing in HP fanfiction do you think is the most groundless/pointless? Personally, I read somewhere that someone had partnered Harry up with the Giant Squid. Seriously, WTF!?


	20. Chapter 20: Atlas

**Ends and Means**

Hello everyone! Once more my update is later than I intended, but I have a good excuse this time. I was in Japan! Awesome country, by the way. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

**In regards to the Harry/Giant Squid pairing:**

**StarDotStar **was kind enough to provide me with a link to a fic with this pairing and i have to admit, that it was pulled off really well. For those who want to check it out, the link is http:// ishtar./ Harry_Potter_and_the_Giant_Squid/ The_Giant_ (take out the spaces). Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and I hope you like this chapter.

**

* * *

****Chapter 20: Atlas**

Harry smiled contentedly as he sat up, being careful not to disturb the two people he was wedged between. As his internal body clock was attuned to, he had woken up just after dawn, for once slipping into consciousness peacefully rather than his useful waking up with a scream caught in his throat. Surprised by how languid he felt at the moment, he paused for a minute and took in the sight around him. He didn't remember there being a bed last night, but apparently the room had deemed it fit to provide one at some point. The last thing he could recall about the previous night's happenings was Luna and Neville each slinging a comforting arm around his shaking form. From there, it seemed to have deteriorated into them falling asleep together on the same bed, using each other's arms as pillows. Harry didn't know if it was his complete and utter emotional exhaustion or his friends' company that had quelled his usual night-time terrors, but he was grateful nonetheless. He hadn't had such a good sleep in a long time.

Finally rousing from his thoughts, he manoeuvred himself off the bed, chuckling quietly as both Luna and Neville subconsciously noticed the lack of his presence and, as a result, inched over in the bed until they were sleeping side by side. Unable to bring himself to interrupt their sleep, he quickly wrote them a note saying that he was going out for some air and a shower, and that he'd see them at breakfast. He then placed the note beneath an alarm clock that the room soon provided him with upon his mental command. Satisfied, Harry left the room and began to make his way up to the Gryffindor dormitory. After a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes, Harry was set for the day, his book bag packed and shrunk inside his pants pocket.

As he still had about forty minutes until breakfast, he wound his way through the castle's passages and made his way outside to his now favourite spot beside the lake. As it was now November, the temperature had begun to grow colder in preparation for the upcoming winter, but it was still warm enough not to require a cloak or scarf to be worn. As usual, he immediately released the swathe of magic he used to shade his eyes from the fierce glow of Hogwarts' magical aura, allowing himself to relax completely. The past few months had been very difficult for him, but he felt that the weight bearing down on his shoulders had lessened slightly upon his speaking to Luna and Neville about his past. It wasn't much, but it was a start. At the very least, Madam Pomfrey would be happy with him anyway.

His inner musings were cut off as he sensed a pair of eyes focused on him. Turning, a slightly bitter smile graced his lips as he beckoned his former Defence against the Dark Arts professor over.

"Good morning, sir. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Harry asked, pleasantly if distantly.

"Harry," Remus murmured tentatively, looking slightly put off by Harry's uncharacteristically polite salutation. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to speak to you about a few things."

"Such as?" was the green-eyed boy's reply as he turned his gaze back upon the still body of water in front of him.

With a deep breath, Remus began.

"Firstly, I wanted to apologise. I never wanted to make you feel as if we only saw you as a weapon. I don't think any one of us did. You have to understand that for many of us, this war has been dragging on for decades. Some of us have been fighting for decades. The problem with having such a long, drawn-out war is that morale slips lower and lower every year it continues. Some people have been caught up in the fighting and the tragedy for so long, that they've become entangled in an endless cycle of hopelessness. That's why so many people put their faith in you and the prophecy. To them, you are the first glimpse of hope they've had in years, and for them to then learn that there is the possibility that you may actually be magically stronger than what was first thought… Do you get where I'm going with this, Harry?"

Sighing when Harry just remained silent, Remus continued.

"I know that this is unfair to you, Harry. I know that none of us can truly understand the depth of pain and sorrow that you have suffered because of a prophecy told before you were born to a man you no longer seem to trust, but this is all some of us have left! If we can believe that the end is approaching, then we can delve up the strength to continue striving forward! We…"

"That's enough," Harry cut in softly. Running a hand through his messy ebony locks, Harry finally tore his gaze from the scenery and turned them instead to the man he considered to be an unofficial uncle of sorts. He took in the determined, almost frantic gleam in the man's amber eyes, the bags that had developed beneath said eyes and the deep-set wrinkles upon his forehead. His ability to see magic picked up the seemingly tired colour of the man's aura as well as the burning slashes of putrid yellow that marked the werewolf bite he had been given when the man was a child.

"You are right when you said that having such an outlook on my part in the war is unfair to me. I've always resented being used by other people for their own ends, and I hate having to bear the burden of everyone's hopes. You all expect me to pull off this miraculous victory over a man so many times my age, and your only justification for thrusting me into such a position are the words of a woman the majority of the world views as having lost her marbles. Humans really are foolish, selfish creatures, and I am not exempt from this either."

Heaving a sigh, Harry brought his gaze back to the calming scenery around them. Harry paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he continued.

"I've said this before but I'll repeat it to you again now. I will continue to fight Voldemort, but I will do it on my terms. I will not be a puppet for others to manipulate as they please. If the Order and the Ministry are against Voldemort, then I consider us to be allies, but that does not mean that I am a member of either organisations. I will simply be Harry, doing what I can to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If people choose to place all their hopes with me, then that's their prerogative," Harry shrugged. "I have done a lot of thinking these past few months, Remus, and this is the choice of action that I have decided upon."

Having seen the brief flash of relief and joy in Remus' eyes upon hearing having use his name, Harry decided to set things straight.

"I have always tried to be an honest person, Remus, so I will speak bluntly. For the most part, I have had a shit life. My upbringing was a nightmare, and my time here in the Wizarding World has not lived up to my expectations either. I was raised to rely only on myself so I've never had an easy time making friends or trusting others. For the few friends I've made to hurt me like they did was a wretched blow, but I acknowledge that I played my own part in this. That is why I want to start afresh. I'm sure Ginny passed the message to everyone that I was willing to at least give them a chance to prove themselves to me."

"She did," Remus nodded, rubbing his face tiredly. "I've spent sleepless nights wondering over how I could show you that I care for you, but in the end I couldn't come up with anything. I figured that the least I could do was talk to you. That way you'll at least know that I have missed you and have been thinking about you these passed few months."

"And that's all I need," Harry smiled. "Just the fact that you've spent so much time and effort worrying about me and our relationship shows me that I am more to you than just a weapon. I can't promise you that I forgive you yet, but I do hope that I can consider you once more to be my friend."

"Of course," Remus answered, sagging with relief. Things weren't perfect, but to Remus it didn't matter for he finally had his cub back!

Remus opened his mouth his to say as much but shut it again when he heard footsteps approaching. Both males turned at the sound and were met with the sight of the star thestral.

"Who's this?" Remus inquired, surprised when the thestral walked over to Harry and knelt down before him. Knowing what he wanted, Harry quickly climbed onto the creature's back whereupon it stood up straight once more. It then made its way over to the still surprised Remus and began to sniff and nuzzle into the man's chest.

"This is a thestral I've made friends with of late," Harry answered, bemusedly watching the scene before him from his perch. "I think he likes you."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too," Remus chuckled, patting the leathery skin of the creature in front of him. "What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one," Harry responded. "At least I don't think he has one," he amended. "I've been meaning to come up with one for a while now, but I've never come up with a good one. Any suggestions?"

"Hmm…" Remus hummed, as he thought it over. "How about… Atlas?"

"Atlas? You mean like a book of maps kind of atlas?"

"Well, that's one interpretation I guess, but I was more going for the Atlas from Greek mythology. He was a Titan who, as a punishment, was given the task of supporting the weight of the world on his shoulders," Remus explained.

"I like it," Harry stated, in his mind thinking how appropriate the name was considering the Prophecy of the Star Thestral that Hagrid had told him about earlier. "It suits him."

"It does," Remus agreed, in his mind thinking how appropriate the name was considering that the thestral carried on its back the boy who supported the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Everyone ready?" Hermione queried as she peaked over Ginny's head in order to watch the post owls fly into the hall.

* * *

"Not really," Harry answered with a grimace from where he sat across from her, his earlier happiness having diminished slightly due to the thought of the Daily Prophet article about to be unleashed upon the world. "Today started off so well too. Why do I get the feeling that it's all going to go downhill from here on?"

"Probably because it will," Ron replied, for once not partaking in his usual breakfast ritual of stuffing his face.

"What will come, will come," Luna recited, the new, white feather she had earlier received from Harry held aloft before her. Neville grunted from his spot next to her, his face a tad green. By general consensus, the group of six had gone with the 'safety in numbers' approach, and consequently sat huddled together at the far end of the Gryffindor table closest to the doors.

"Here we go," Ginny commented, watching as students throughout the hall began to unfurl their newly acquired copies of the Daily Prophet.

Hermione and Neville both soon received their own copies and reluctantly lay them out on the table allowing those around them to look over their shoulders.

_DIAGON ALLEY ATTACK THWARTED BY MINISTRY_

_Yesterday at approximately 1pm, terrified shoppers ran for their lives as Death Eaters apparated into several popular areas of Diagon Alley and began to rain down destruction. They were quickly met with opposition from the Ministry Aurors who, with the aide of several brave passers-by, efficiently began to contain the threat whilst simultaneously aiding citizens to escape the scene.__To the horror of many however, in order to undermine the morale of the Ministry Aurors, a number of Death Eaters were polyjuiced to look like Miss Ginerva Weasley, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Mr. Neville Longbottom, Miss Luna Lovegood, Miss Hermione Granger and our very own, Mr. Harry Potter. Understandably, Ministry Aurors were hesitant to harm our Chosen one and his companions, and as such, were unable to fight with full confidence. This reluctance to battle was soon curbed upon the learning that Potter and his compatriots were at that time assisting Madam Poppy Pomfrey in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing._

_"It was terrifying seeing those children fighting alongside the Death Eaters. Like everyone else, I was almost convinced that they had turned [to the dark side]. But when I got hit by this particularly nasty cutting hex, I portkeyed to Hogwarts Hospital Wing and lo and behold, there's Harry Potter and his friends standing by ready to patch me up!" Auror Giles Kentwood stated when interviewed after the attack._

_A second shock wave came when two Albus Dumbledores, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, appeared in the midst of the fight and proceeded to duel. It was later ascertained that the second Dumbledore was in fact You-Know-Who himself under the influence of Polyjuice potion. Fortunately, due to the heroic fighting of the Ministry Aurors present, a majority of You-Know-Who's forces had already been diminished, and it was not long before the remaining Death Eaters fled alongside their master._

_The attack on Diagon Alley has been heralded by many as a successful display of the Ministry's upgraded security policies._

_"It is highly satisfying to see our new, advanced security measures have been well worth the effort. Naturally, as a nation we shall grieve for those brave and innocent souls who lost their lives or were injured in the attacks. I would like those affected to rest assured that the Ministry will use every available avenue to bring these terrorists to justice," Minister Rufus Scrimgeour stated during a press conference held after the attack._

_When questioned upon He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's use of the Polyjuice potion, Minister Scrimgeour is quoted as saying:_

_"This is certainly something to worry about. As we speak, Ministry-employed Potion masters and security experts are discussing possible methods to both limit the availability of the Polyjuice potion as well as ways in which to determine whether or not a person is under the influence of said potion. For now, I advise that citizens look into implementing their own safety measures within their families. A Ministry released pamphlet suggesting some such methods will be issued shortly."_

_The list of casualties has yet to be officially released by the Ministry, but it is estimated that at least thirty people were killed in the attack. Staff from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries declined any interviews regarding the number of injured victims, but it has been confirmed by an anonymous source that extra personnel were called in to help the hospital cope after the attack._

_Story continued on page 2._

_For information on the Polyjuice potion, turn to page 4._

As expected it was Hermione who finished the article first, and she made this known to all around her by drumming her fingers on the table as she waited for everyone else to finish.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as it could've been," Ginny offered as she reached the end of the story.

"It's a complete turn around from that dramatic stuff the Prophet came up with last year," Neville chipped in.

"And this time, I'm not mad," Harry smiled though like Hermione, his brow was furrowed in thought.

"Or evil either," Ginny murmured. "Last year, they would have probably made us out to be closet Death Eaters or something."

"You're right," Hermione concurred, "it seems that this year, the Daily Prophet is steering clear from those big, sensational, fear-mongering articles, but it's troubling to see how much control the Ministry has over them still."

"They didn't even mention anything about that attempt on Scrimgeour," Ron added quietly, aware of the many people around them who seemed to be trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Well, it's obvious he doesn't want anyone to know about it since it would undermine the Ministry's security measures. In fact the whole article is spun to make the Ministry look good. Look. See here, they only mention the casualties and injured at the very end of the article. It's clear that they want the focus to be on the fact that the Death Eaters were driven away," Harry pointed out, running his finger across said reference. "And it doesn't even mention the Order at all. The only reference to them is that bit about 'several brave passers-by' aiding the Aurors."

"The professors don't seem pleased with that," Luna observed, drawing their attention momentarily to the agitated people occupying the Head table.

"Snape must be relieved though," Ron mused. "I don't think it would have gone down well if people discovered he was a Death Eater, even if it was just as to spy on them."

"He's going to have to be really careful now," Neville added, his gaze swerving to the Slytherin table. "I wonder how many of his students are going to be tasked with taking him out?"

"No doubt there will be Death Eaters in other houses he has to worry about too," Harry sighed. "But you're right in that he'll probably be more vulnerable to attacks from students in his own house."

"Things are gonna change from here," Ginny predicted, beginning to spoon some breakfast onto her plate.

"Things are already changing," her brother modified, starting his own meal. "What's up with you?" he asked Hermione when he noticed she was still frozen in thought.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied after a moment's pause, before rising from her seat. "Listen, I'm just going to go to the library for a bit. I'll see you in class," she called as she swiftly left the hall.

"Barmy, that one," Ron joked as he watched her go. "She didn't even eat anything."

This comment, of course, caused everyone in the vicinity to roll their eyes.

* * *

Saturday morning found the majority of the school screaming their lungs out as the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams took to the sky for the first Quidditch match of the year.

Harry immediately began to circle the field, keeping one eye peeled for the telltale flash of gold that would be the Snitch. Doubting that it would turn up so early in the match, he began to observe his team, curious as to how well they did on their first match.

It was clear from Ron's almost green face that he was a mass of nerves, but it seemed that their practice sessions had helped somewhat as his full concentration seemed to be on the Quaffle rather than on the mass of Slytherins booing below him.

Ginny, Demelza and Katie were working well together, though the veteran Slytherin Chasers were putting up a quite a challenge. Twenty minutes had already elapsed and the score had only reached 50-40 in Slytherin's favour.

Peakes and Coote, the Gryffindor Beaters, seemed to be having the time of their lives as they smashed the Bludgers towards the Slytherin players. Coote had even managed to knock out Zacharias Smith, the Hufflepuff who had taken over Lee Jordan's old job of commentator and had been using the opportunity to belittle the Gryffindor team, by 'accidentally' hitting a bludger at the boy.

The commentary was soon taken over by a delighted Professor Flitwick, who had apparently, always wanted to have a go at it. The Charms professor soon let his enthusiasm show when he began jumping up and down on his chair every time something remotely exciting happened.

"And little Demelza Robins passes the Quaffle to Ginny Weasley who draws her arm back and… Yes! She's gotten it passed the Slytherin Keeper and scored! Her aim has always been exceptionally good as anyone who's been on the end of one of her excellent Bat-Bogey hexes can attest to…"

Snickering at his teacher's antics, Harry continued to scour the field for the wayward Snitch. In the distance, he saw Malfoy doing the same thing as him.

"This has got to be the first time he hasn't tailed me in a match," Harry mused as he watched the blond Seeker execute a fancy roll to avoid an oncoming Bludger. He was forced to mimic the Slytherin's actions a moment later when a nearby Slytherin shot a Bludger at him.

"190-110 in Slytherin's favour," Harry heard Flitwick say when he was once more upright. Harry grimaced, realising that his team's inexperience was beginning to make itself known. He needed to find the Snitch quickly before it got any worse. Speeding up, his eyes flickered from side to side, searching frantically for the small, golden ball.

"Malfoy's seen the Snitch!"

Harry's eyes widened as Flitwick's excited squeal rang throughout the stadium. Turning sharply, he began to fly to where he had last seen the Slytherin. He pressed his body as close as possible to the broom as his mind quickly calculated the distance he had to cover to reach the blond. Fortunately, Malfoy seemed to be having a difficult time catching the ball as it kept changing directions and weaving between players, but Harry knew it was only a matter of time before Malfoy caught it. Harry kept going though, inwardly praying for a bit of luck. His prayers were answered when the Snitch suddenly began to dive down towards the ground. Harry, having a smaller, lither frame than his rival, was slightly quicker and was finally, after a bit of fancy flying, able to draw even with the blond.

"It's mine, Potter," Malfoy declared, as he strained forward to grab it.

"You wish," Harry yelled in reply, his green eyes intense. Both boys' hands were so close to the golden ball that they could brush it with their fingers. Only a little bit more and the match would be decided…

BAM!

Surprise rippled across both boys' faces as a Bludger smashed into Harry's chest, instantly cracking three of his ribs. With a scream of pain, Harry was flung off his broom, straight into the blond Slytherin. Malfoy, not expecting the sudden additional weight was knocked backwards but managed to stay on his broom. Harry was not so lucky and began to free fall down to the ground.

"Potter!" Malfoy called out in alarm, flinging his hand out to grab the falling boy. Harry threw his hand out as well, straining to reach the proffered limb, but only succeeding in briefly brushing hands with him before gravity took grasp and began to pull him downwards.

"AAAAAARGH!" he screamed as he fell further and further away from his rival's still outstretched hand.

The wind rippled around him as he fell, his hands instinctively attempting to grab onto thin air. At one stage, he felt something hard and cold hit his hand, and he latched onto it with all he was worth even as he continued to rocket down to the ground. He could see people on brooms trying to catch up to him, but he was falling much too fast. Malfoy was diving down trying to catch up to him as well but the Slytherin was noticeably winded from Harry being flung into him earlier and as such, was unable to reach his full speed.

Harry himself had already tried to slow down his descent by using his wings, but his cracked ribs stopped him from being able to work them properly and for all his effort, all he got was some fierce spasms of pain rippling through his body.

"Shit. I'm going to die," were Harry's thoughts as he continued to plummet. He could feel magic in the air around him and thus knew that the professors were using spells to try and slow him down like they had done during that Quidditch match in his third year, but Harry doubted it would be enough. He had fallen from a much greater height this time.

WHUMP!

Once more a pain-filled yell was forced from his lips as his back hit a hard surface. For a moment, white filled his vision as his body recovered from the shock of the landing. Then the pain began to wane somewhat and Harry became aware that his body was still moving downwards albeit at a much more gentle slope and saner speed.

Forcing his eyelids open, which had instinctively shut on impact, Harry turned his head to the side and his eyes met the familiar ones of Atlas.

"Ah, you really are a lifesaver," Harry smiled softly, before entrusting his safety to the thestral and passing out into the peace of unconsciousness.

* * *

A/N: I was reading another fic recently in which the author had asked their readers what their gender was, and it got me curious as well. So this week's question is: Are you a guy or a girl?


	21. Chapter 21: Thanks

**Ends and Means**

Hello everybody!

Welcome to chapter 21. Once more, I am posting this update later than I initially promised. Sorry 'bout that. I'm afraid reality keeps coming along and screwing up my plans. Anyhoo, i just wanted to say a big THANK YOU!! to everyone out there, especially my lovely reviewers. I had a whopping 93 reviews for the last chapter, which is something I still haven't managed to wrap my head around. So thanks.

Also, in regards to last chapter's question, I put the question out to get a feel for my audience (mostly girls but a few guys too!), not for stalking purposes (I have neither the time nor inclination), and not because I prefer one gender of readers over the other. I hope this lays a few people's fears to rest. If you don't already know, I am a girl.

This chapter was a difficult one for me to churn out simply because it mainly focuses on tying up some loose ends before the next part of the plot begins. Hence, I don't really know how well I've pulled this off. I did love writing Luna though. _snickers. _Anyway, Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 21: Thanks**

"Ah, my home away from home," were the first words that left his lips as Harry awoke, causing Madam Pomfrey to roll her eyes in exasperation.

"At this rate, you might as well just move in here, Mr Potter. It'll save you the walk, at least," she commented wryly, a small smile lining her lips. "How do you feel? Do you recall what happened?"

Pausing for a moment to drudge up his memories, Harry answered.

"I remember… I was hit by a bludger and was knocked off my broom."

"That's right. You fell approximately forty metres before your thestral friend saved you. It gave everyone quite a scare, especially those who cannot see thestrals. Incidentally, the majority of the students now think you're capable of flight without the aide of a broom even when unconscious."

Seeing Harry's quirked eyebrow, Madam Pomfrey chuckled.

"I overhead your visitors saying as much when they were in here earlier."

"How long have I been out?"

"Not that long considering what happened," the matron replied, waving her wand over him and casting a quick diagnostic spell. "The match only ended about two hours ago. You were brought in then. You had a total of three broken ribs and four fractured ones. I've healed them, but I will need to give you a potion later on. You'll need to you take it easy for a while too as I don't want you to put too much strain on them."

To her mild annoyance, Harry just waved away her concerns for his health and instead asked her who had won the Quidditch match.

"You really need to get your priorities straight, Mr Potter. Your health is much more important than sport. If I had my way, I wouldn't allow children to play such a brutal game. Do you know how many injuries I treat because of Quidditch accidents?"

"Ah, c'mon, Madam Pomfrey," Harry interjected. "This is the first match Gryffindor has played under my captaincy. Isn't it expected that I'd be eager to know how we did?"

"Fine. From what I heard, the score was 190-110 in Slytherin's favour before you and Mr Malfoy caught sight of the snitch. During your fall, the Slytherin chasers used the distraction to score 40 more points bringing their score up to 230."

"So we lost then" Harry deduced, his face crumpling at the thought.

"Open your hand, Mr Potter," Madam Pomfrey ordered softly.

Feeling slightly bewildered; Harry looked down at his closed fist. Uncurling his fingers, he gasped in shock as he saw the Snitch sitting securely in his palm.

"But… what… how...?" Harry began, wondering how in the world he had been holding onto it for so long without even realising it was in his hand.

"That there is a testament to just how much Quidditch seems to mean to you. Honestly, Mr Potter, you are the only person alive with the sheer, blind luck to unconsciously catch the snitch whilst you're busy plummeting to your death," Pomfrey rolled her eyes.

"So we won?" Harry queried, needing to hear the words.

"Yes, you won," the matron grinned.

Unable to speak for the joy he was feeling, Harry resorted to doing a crude imitation of a victory dance he had once seen Dean Thomas do upon hearing his football team had gotten into the finals. Madam Pomfrey couldn't bring herself to keep from laughing at the boy's antics. It was nice to know that after all he had been through there was still a bit of childishness and playfulness within him.

CLICK.

Harry blinked as a brief flash of light momentarily blinded his eyes. He groaned loudly as he turned and saw a grinning Neville holding a camera.

"Enjoying yourself, Harry?" Neville chuckled, walking towards Harry's bed, Luna trailing behind him. "Ooh, I'm so using this for blackmail purposes," Neville promised, causing Harry to bury his head in his hands in exasperation.

"It's not something to be laughed at, Neville," Luna chastised sternly, as she eyed the boy disapprovingly.

Startled by Luna's uncharacteristic seriousness, Neville's smile dropped from his face. Harry and Madam Pomfrey exchanged a bewildered glance before focusing their attention back on the girl who had by now turned to regard Harry with a gentle gaze.

"Harry," Luna voiced kindly almost tentatively, "if we've accidentally interrupted you're mating dance, just tell us and we'll leave so you can finish."

Luna's statement was, naturally, met with complete silence as Harry, Neville and Madam Pomfrey stared incredulously at the blond Ravenclaw. Several seconds later, the silence was rather dramatically broken by Neville falling to the floor and laughing his head off. This broke Harry and Madam Pomfrey out of their stupor, and red bloomed across their cheeks causing Neville to begin pounding the floor in his humour.

"Luna… I wasn't… what the hell, Luna?" Harry finally spluttered, his eyes wide in horror.

"Miss Lovegood, I assure you that Harry was not trying to court me! He was happy because Gryffindor won the Quidditch match. That is all!" the matron explained, trying desperately to keep her voice calm. She had only had a handful of encounters with Luna before, and consequently had no idea how to react to the strange Ravenclaw. It didn't reassure her in the slightest that neither Neville nor Harry seemed to know how to react either.

Upon seeing Luna's disbelieving countenance, Harry gave a swift kick to Neville in an effort to shut him up before forcing his mouth to speak.

"Luna, I… boys don't court girls like that. At least human boys don't. Male birds sometimes do dances and stuff to attract females, but human guys don't. Do you get that?"

Luna just tilted her head to the side, causing Harry and Madam Pomfrey to groan and Neville to laugh even harder.

* * *

"Mission complete," Neville snickered happily as they shut the door to the Hospital Wing and began to weave their ways amongst the corridors and passages, towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"I would appreciate it if you'd stop laughing," Harry stated tersely as he rubbed his temples. "You know, there were tons of other ways you could have gotten me out of there. You didn't have to resort to making me out as some sort of weird, sexual predator," the green-eyed teen directed at Luna.

"It worked, didn't it?" Neville commented. "And it had to be something really out there otherwise Madam Pomfrey would never have let you leave so soon. At least this way, you get to enjoy the party in the common room."

"Neville, I don't think you appreciate just how awkward it's going to be next time I have to see Pomfrey," was Harry's grumpy reply.

"Hey, we were told to bust you out of the Hospital Wing and we did. I'm not the one who actually came up with the plan. That was all Luna. She didn't even tell me what she had in mind. I was as surprised as you were," Neville responded, holding his hands up passively in front of him, as if surrendering.

"Well, Luna. Anything to say?" Harry asked, scuffing his feet along the ground in annoyance.

"What plan are you talking about?" Luna queried, cocking her head to the side, continuing to walk on even as the boys stopped.

"You don't think she was serious back there, do you?" Harry whispered covertly to Neville as he watched his blond friend walk away from them. "Do you think she honestly believes that I was courting Pomfrey?"

"I don't know," Neville replied, thoughtfully. "She's always been a bit of an odd one, so you never know…"

"Are you two coming or not?" Luna called over her shoulder.

After exchanging another glance with each other, Harry and Neville raced to catch up with their waiting friend.

"I didn't think you'd be so eager to go to the Gryffindor party," Neville told Luna when he'd finally caught up to her.

"Oh, I'm going purely for supply purposes," she admitted nonchalantly. Seeing their questioning looks, she continued. "I'm almost out of Butterbeer lids, so I'm going to resupply."

Accepting this as a just another quirk of Luna, neither of the boys chose to reply, but nodded to show their understanding.

"Mr Potter."

Not expecting their ex-Potions professor to suddenly appear from behind a nearby statue, Harry and Neville jumped a foot in the air and spun round to face the man. Luna, on the other hand, simply murmured a pleasant "Good evening, professor," and turned her pale gaze intently towards his left hand. Obviously unnerved by the girl's stare, Snape surreptitiously slid his hand into his robe pocket and out of sight.

"Did you need something, Professor?" Harry inquired, feeling somewhat nervous. He had been fortunate in that he had so far managed to avoid having to speak directly to the Head of Slytherin. It wasn't that he was scared of the man, it was more that he had no idea how he was supposed to act around the man any more. After all, he'd never been able to wrap his head around how Snape's mind worked, so he had no idea how the man might have taken Harry's healing his hand. Was the Professor going to be grateful, angry, bitter? Would he pretend that it hadn't happened at all? Hence, Harry had decided to play it safe and avoid the man altogether. It seemed his luck had finally run out, however.

"I would like to speak to you in private, Mr Potter," Snape silkily replied, his face devoid from any emotion. "Come with me."

"But Professor," Neville suddenly chipped in, "everyone's expecting Harry in the common room now."

Snape's intense gaze swept over and rested on Neville for a long moment. The slight raising of one eyebrow was the only indication to his surprise when Neville made no move to back down or appear submissive. Harry inwardly beamed as he watched the exchange. Neville had really come a long way from the bumbling boy who was terrified of Snape that he had been a few years ago, and Harry was thrilled to see that people had begun to take notice.

"It is still very early in the evening, Mr Longbottom," Snape enunciated softly. "I assure you that Mr Potter will still have plenty of time to frolic in the warm glow of everyone's affection after I finish my talk with him. Now go," he finished, his voice taking on a more imperative tone on the last word.

Still frowning, Neville took Luna's hand and began the trek to the Gryffindor Tower.

"I'll see you later, Harry. You too, Professor!" Luna called back cheerfully as she let herself be dragged around a corner. Snape involuntarily shuddered at her words before composing himself and turning to regard the Potter heir.

"This way, Mr Potter."

Due to his less than ideal upbringing, Harry had always been a bit on the short side much to his annoyance, so he practically had to jog to keep up with his Professor's swift footsteps. To his surprise, rather than leading him down to the dungeons, Snape instead took him through a secret passage behind a painting of some toadstools, and after a few more twists and turns eventually led him into a disused classroom in the Charms department.

Once there, Snape immediately pulled out his wand and began to cast an array of charms.

"Relax, Potter. I am simply warding the room so that no one can enter or eavesdrop," Snape explained when he saw Harry's look of unease.

"Oh, okay," the black haired boy replied, unable to think of anything better to say. He watched Snape intently as the man continued waving his wand, but immediately dropped his gaze when Snape finished and turned to face him.

"I have brought you here for three reasons, Potter," Snape stated succinctly. He stopped to steel himself for a moment before ploughing on. "Firstly, I don't know whether you're healing of my hand was deliberate or an accident, but I am grateful nonetheless."

"What?" Harry blinked confusedly, not expecting the man to actually express gratitude over the deed. Actually, the idea of Snape thanking anyone for anything seemed somewhat ludicrous in Harry's mind.

"I know I am not the kindest man in the world," Snape rolled his eyes, "but that doesn't mean that I am completely heartless. If someone earns my respect, then I will give them my respect. If someone earns my thanks, then I will thank them. It's as simple as that. Do not read too much into this though," Snape warned. "You have earned my thanks for doing this one deed, but that doesn't mean I necessarily respect you. Our relationship has not changed by much, Potter. So feel free to act like your usual foolhardy self."

"Well, I'm glad that I have your permission to do so," Harry remarked sarcastically. Inside though, Harry couldn't stop the wave of relief that swept through him. He hated not knowing how to act around the man. It was like walking on eggshells, and with everything else going on in his life, his nerves were rather taut already.

"The second reason," Snape cut in trying to pull the conversation back on track, "is about those feathers of yours."

Harry immediately tensed up, something he was prone to do whenever someone asked to speak about anything relating to his wings and the circumstances surrounding their appearance. He may have been able to speak about them to Luna and Neville, but he still felt rather defensive whenever the topic was broached.

"What about them?" Harry asked, his face closed.

"There's no need to raise your hackles, Potter," was Snape's insensitive response, causing Harry to flinch as the comment unconsciously invoked a mental image of his late Godfather. "All I wanted to ask was whether or not you were willing to let me have a few of your feathers for my own research."

Harry frowned, crossing his arms over his chest in a subconscious attempt to protect the feathers concealed within the mokeskin bag tucked away under his robes. He couldn't deny his utter revulsion at the thought of any part of him being used in some disgusting potion. The fleeting thought that in the future 'Harry Potter's feathers' could be a common ingredient used by students in Potions class was such an abhorrent concept for the boy that he knew he needed to nip the issue firmly in the bud before anything started.

"I'd rather not," Harry finally answered, trying to think of a way to politely decline without getting a detention or worse, a persistent professor chasing after him. He still had problems with Slughorn constantly bombarding him with invites to the Slug Club. He did not need another professor after him, and he doubted that Snape would be as willing to passively accept his constant refusals like Slughorn was.

"May I inquire as to why?" Snape demanded, his baritone voice becoming dangerously deep.

Knowing that the man would not accept his 'I don't want to be potions ingredients' excuse, he settled for another.

"No offence, Professor, but I don't really trust you." Holding up a hand to stop the man from responding, Harry continued. "Don't get me wrong. I'm know that you always try to do what you think is best in the scheme of things, but that doesn't mean I trust you with doing what's best for me. I've been doing by best to keep my wings a secret from everyone, because let's face it, the Daily Prophet would probably have a field day if they found out about them. So letting you, a well-known Potions Master, get your hands on some of them is probably not the wisest move for me to make."

"Yet giving some to Miss Lovegood is?" Snape questioned sardonically.

"As much as I hate the fact, most people see Luna as being a few twigs short of a broomstick. I seriously doubt that any one is going to question her on her research, and even if they did, Luna's subtle and clever enough to throw anyone off her trail without her even really having to try to."

"Fine. I will accept your answer. For now, at least," Snape trailed off, before turning to leave.

Debating with himself briefly, Harry let his curiosity get the better of him and, though unsure of whether or not this was actually a good idea or not, called after the retreating man, "What's the third reason why you wanted to speak to me, sir?"

Snape halted on the spot and without turning to face the teen, replied, "Please, for the love of Merlin, tell Lovegood to stop stalking me. Remind her that she is not allowed to enter my private chambers even if she somehow manages to learn what the password is, and that when I find out how she always knows my location, there will be hell to pay."

With that said, the man promptly left the room, the wards he had placed upon the room at the start of their talk vanishing with him.

"Huh," Harry breathed when he was sure the man was out of earshot. "That explains why she keeps asking to use the Map."

* * *

Sunday morning rolled around bright and cheerful much to the annoyance of the majority of the Gryffindors. The party to celebrate their winning the Quidditch match had continued on til the wee hours of the morning, and only really broke up when Professor McGonagall had stormed into the common room, looking surprising intimidating in her tartan-sleeping gown, and threatened them with a lifetime's worth of detentions. When one smart-arsed, seventh year had pointed out that McGonagall couldn't enforce such a policy once they graduated from the school, McGonagall had just smiled creepily and said, "Do you care to test that theory, Mr Crawley? Let me warn you that I have done it before and more than once. Mark my words, if you have outstanding detentions to serve upon your graduation, you will end up serving them. I have the means to make it happen."

Trying to save face, Crawley had scoffed at her words.

"Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks," McGonagall had casually listed whilst continuing to smile her creepy smile. "If you don't believe me, then why don't you ask them? They were not the only ones either…"

Seeing her charges sufficiently cowed, McGonagall had uttered a pleasant "Good night," and left the room. Needless to say, everyone had swiftly gone to bed after that.

Exhausted though he was, Harry couldn't keep the smile from his face as he forced himself to leave his cosy bed. Shoving his glasses onto his nose, Harry dragged his unwilling feet in the direction of the showers. The warm water felt wonderful on his skin, especially as he hadn't had a chance to shower the night before, so caught up he had been in the revelry. Even his earlier injuries and his conversation with Snape hadn't put a dampener on his mood. The outright joy and enthusiasm of his housemates at the party had only increased his own euphoria. Although in truth, they had only won because he had accidentally grabbed the Snitch during his free fall, he still couldn't have felt prouder of his team. As a rookie team, they had all performed marvellously in his eyes, and deserved to enjoy their success.

Feeling more awake now that he had showered, Harry chucked on his clothes and left his dormitory, leaving his room mates to enjoy their sleep in.

Since it was still only around seven, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find Hermione to be the lone Gryffindor at their table, nor was he surprised to see Luna sitting beside his bushy-haired, happily counting her newly obtained butterbeer lids.

"Good morning," he greeted, plonking down in the seat opposite them.

"Morning," Luna greeted, momentarily dragging her attention away from her counting. She did not look the least bit tired despite having attended the Gryffindor party and staying up so late. Ginny had been nice enough to let her sleep with her and her room mates in the girl's fifth year dormitory once the party had died down.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione smiled, after swallowing her bite of toast.

"You're here early," Harry commented. "Usually, you have breakfast a lot later than this."

"That's because I'm usually in the library or waiting for Ron and the others to come down," she replied, her eyes glittering excitedly.

Having known Hermione for so long, Harry instantly recognised her body language and knew that she was obviously waiting eagerly for something to happen. From experience though, he knew that she wouldn't explain herself until after whatever it was she wanted to happen occurred, so he just shrugged and pushed the observation to the back of his mind for the time being.

Harry was just about to help himself to a few rashers of bacon when he heard his and Luna's names being called. He turned to find several Ravenclaws beckoning them over. Accepting their unspoken invitation, Luna, who had swiftly packed away her butterbeer lids, and Harry both stood up and began to head towards them only to stop as they realised Hermione would be left alone.

"C'mon, Hermione, let's go join the Ravenclaws," Harry called over his shoulder.

Obviously unsure what was happening, Hermione quickly rose and followed them to the Ravenclaw table where upon Harry pulled her into the seat next to him.

"You don't mind if she joins us, do you?" he asked Mandy Brocklehurst, who was chairing the debates for this week.

"Fine with us," she replied pulling the bronze raven from her robe's pockets.

"What's going on?" Hermione queried, eying the little bronze bird nervously. At Mandy's command, the Raven sprang to life and began to circle her head.

"Every morning, a debate is held at the Ravenclaw table regarding a previously decided topic," Mandy explained concisely. "Anyone is allowed to participate in these debates as we like to give everyone the opportunity to share their point of view."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond only to find her voice gone. Seeing this, Mandy grinned.

"This is the Raven. It will fly to whoever it thinks has the best idea to share and allow that person to speak. Everyone else must remain silent. This way, it's fair for everyone."

As soon as Mandy had finished speaking, the Raven had flown over to Hermione, finally allowing her to speak.

"How come I've never heard about any of this before?" she asked, her brow creasing. "It's not even mentioned in Hogwarts: A History."

"The reason you've never heard of this before is that you Gryffindors always come to breakfast after our debates are already over, and since all the other houses know, no one feels the need to shout it from the roof tops," Anthony Goldstein chipped in from further down the table. "And in regards to Hogwarts: A History, let's just say that that book is not a really reliable source of information. There are a lot of things that aren't mentioned at all in that book."

Hermione appeared somewhat affronted after hearing that, but as the Raven had returned to circling around Mandy's head, she couldn't say anything to defend her favourite book.

"Okay, let's get back on track," Mandy commanded. "We can debate the merits and reliability of Hogwarts: A History in a future debate. For now, our topic is whether or not we should include basic Muggle subjects into the curriculum, and if so, what subjects would be most beneficial? Who wants to start?"

Harry smiled as he watched the discussion take place, choosing to listen this time rather than contribute. He and Neville had become common participants in these early morning debates, and Harry once more blessed his fortune in finding out about them. The Ravenclaw's willingness to let everyone have a go had done wonders to Neville's confidence, and based on the grades he had been receiving recently, Harry knew that he was benefiting from them as well. They were good for Luna too, as people would pay proper attention to what she said without mocking her or looking at her strangely.

Based on the exhilarated expression on her face, it looked as if Hermione had gone to heaven. Harry was glad that he had thought to include her in on the debate for he knew that there were only a few people in Gryffindor willing to, let alone capable of, holding an intellectual discussion with her.

As it was Sunday and there were no classes, which meant that most of the Gryffindors wouldn't be seen in public until lunchtime, the Ravenclaw debate continued on well beyond its usual ending time. In fact, there were only two interruptions to the debate throughout its entirety. The first was the arrival of Luna's edition of the Quibbler, which for some reason Harry couldn't fathom, caused Hermione to smile widely. The second was when Harry spotted Draco Malfoy leaving the hall, and promptly ran after the retreating blonde, without saying a word to his bewildered companions.

"Oi, Malfoy! Wait up," Harry yelled, rushing to catch up with the blonde Slytherin.

After seeing whom it was, Malfoy gestured to his friends, of which Harry could only recognise Blaise Zabini, to go on without him.

"What is it, Potter?" Malfoy asked when Harry had finally reached him.

"I just wanted to say thanks," Harry said quietly, unconsciously taking a leaf out of Snape's book. "You know… for trying to catch me yesterday."

"Did you honestly think I'd just let you plummet to your death?" the blonde queried, his pale eyebrows arching. Harry didn't respond, instead opting to shuffle his feet nervously.

Sighing, Malfoy raised a hand and rubbed at his temples as if trying to ward off a headache.

"Look, Potter," Malfoy began. "I know that you and I have never been really good friends and I doubt that we will ever be, but that doesn't mean I want you to die. Yes, I may have insulted you, hexed you and generally done things to piss you off in the past, but I've never actually tried to kill you, and I have neither the time nor inclination to begin now. Okay?"

"Yeah," Harry breathed, rather awed at this admission from his rival. "Thanks, Malfoy," he smiled, offering his hand.

Malfoy just stared at the offered limb for a moment, before slowly reaching out and shaking it. "Don't think this means we're friends though. I mean it, Potter. I reserve the right to annoy you whenever I want."

"Ditto," Harry agreed, before promptly putting this into effect by (gently) kicking the blonde in the shins.

"Damn it! I'm going to kill you, Potter!" Malfoy yelled after the fleeing Gryffindor.

His threat was simply met by boisterous laughter.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go. This chapter's question is: what event/happening in the HP books (canon) were you most disappointed by?


	22. Chapter 22: Truth and Misrule

**Ends and Means**

Hi everyone, and welcome to the latest update of Ends and Means. I'd actually meant to put this chapter up yesterday, but this chapter has taken on a life of its own, and it just kept getting bigger. For the record, this chapter is almost 8000 words long, something that I'm quite proud of. A lot of what happens in this chapter I made up on the spot, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Thanks to all my lovely readers and reviewers, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**

* * *

****C****hapter 22: Truth and Misrule**

Breathing in deeply, Harry sat down on a large, flat rock and waited expectantly for the sun to rise. He was not disappointed by the show, which he soon witnessed as the pale light of the dawn began to chase away the lingering darkness of the night. Soft shades of pink and orange soon painted the heavens, as a golden ball of warmth and light began to gradually ascend from its hiding place behind the horizon. Pink and orange soon turned into various hues of pastel blue, and soon enough, the sky was an endless stretch of azure, with only a few patches of silvery clouds breaking its constancy.

"I love the dawn," Harry commented to the person standing a few metres behind him, his gaze never moving from the sight of the sky before him. "No two dawns are ever alike and yet they all seem to hold the same promise of starting anew. It's almost as if you can paint over all the dark things that have happened in the past."

"That doesn't change the fact that they happened though," McGonagall's crisp, accented voice replied softly. "Even if you constantly paint over something, it is still there albeit buried beneath the weight of the paint."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "And that is what makes the dawn so compelling, I think. The light of the dawn is only bright because of the darkness that precedes it."

"I didn't realise you were such a philosopher, Mr Potter," McGonagall responded after a pause.

"Only in the early mornings," Harry laughed back. "There's not much else to do but sit and think at this time of day."

"Are you still having difficulty sleeping?" McGonagall inquired gently. Her concern for the raven-haired boy radiated from her so strongly that Harry felt it without even having to look at her.

Harry took a moment to ponder before he answered, "Not to the degree that I have in the past. My sleep has been a bit calmer lately."

"Yet you're still waking up before the dawn," the Transfiguration Professor pointed out.

"Old habits die hard, I'm afraid," Harry replied lightly before sobering up slightly as he turned to regard his professor. Ever since he had come to Hogwarts, she had been a pillar of support for him and indeed all of Gryffindor. She was someone you may not necessarily know well or even like, but if you were in trouble, she was someone you could turn to and rely on for help. The promise of reasonable, just and, above all else, equal treatment to everyone was one of the things that made her one of the most respected professors amongst the students. Even students from other houses knew that they would be treated fairly by her, despite, or perhaps even due to, her strict disposition. Because of this, Harry felt compelled to not fob off her worries or comments like he would have had any other staff member or student questioned him.

"I haven't been having as many nightmares lately," Harry softly murmured, turning his gaze to face the front once more. "But for a while now I've had the feeling that I'm missing something important. I feel like… like there's something I need to remember or realise. It worries me," he confessed quietly. "My gut is screaming at me to hurry up and work it out, but for the life of me, I can't work out what it is."

McGonagall frowned at his words but stayed silent.

"I guess all I can do is wait until I work it out, but if it's as important as my instincts seem to feel it is, I wonder if it'll be too late by then," Harry finished.

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help, you know where to find me," McGonagall offered, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry replied. "That means a lot to me."

"You're more than welcome, Mr Potter," she responded. "Now, onto other matters. Do you know anything about this?" she queried, holding up a copy of the Quibbler.

"I don't know who wrote the article, if that's what you're asking," was the green-eyed boy's reply, his mind going back to the day before when he had first read the article in question.

* * *

_(Warning: Flashback)_

_Ducking behind a tapestry of several women having a picnic, Harry ran through the secret passage, emerging near the bathroom on the sixth floor. He couldn't keep from chuckling as he thought of the furious Slytherin he had just escaped, who was no doubt still looking for him on the bottom floors. He knew he'd have to be careful from now on, as Malfoy would be seeking retribution for Harry's kicking him in the shin, but that thought did nothing to quell his mirth._

_"Ah, there you are, Harry," Luna called approaching him, a very sleepy Neville trailing behind her._

_"What are you so happy about?" Neville asked gruffly, feeling slightly sour that Harry didn't seem adversely affected by the previous night's revelry like he— and the majority of the Gryffindor population— did._

_Not bothering to hide the huge grin that stretched his cheeks, Harry replied, "I just kicked Draco Malfoy in the shins and ran."_

_Neville's gruffness immediately vanished as a bout of laughter exploded from his mouth. His reaction compelled Harry to join in, as the hilarity of the situation once more kicked in. Even Luna was laughing, though unlike the boys, she didn't feel the need to collapse onto the ground and roll around in fits of giggles. Needless to say, the poor souls who unwittingly stumbled upon the scene were torn between bemusement and alarm. Eventually— after a fire-breathing Malfoy turned up and began to chase them, waving his wand threateningly and sending various spells their way— the three friends found themselves hiding in the Room of Requirement. It took them a while to dispel the effects of the jinxes that they had been hit with, but they were still in high spirits by the time they were finished._

_"Anyway," Luna started once everyone had calmed down and gotten their breaths back. "The reason why Neville and I were looking for you was because of this," she uttered, holding aloft her recently acquired copy of the Quibbler._

_Seeing Harry's raised eyebrow, the Ravenclaw handed him the magazine._

_"Turn to page 16," Neville chipped in as he plopped down on a couch that the room was kind enough to provide him with._

_Curious, Harry did as instructed and began to read the article he found there._

VERITAS: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE DIAGON ALLEY ATTACK

The recent attack on Diagon Alley has justifiably caused alarm amongst the Wizarding public. However, what is even more alarming is the depths to which the Ministry of Magic have fallen to in order to hide the truth of the events from the general masses. Due to this, I have taken the unconventional but necessary step of personally spreading that truth. I do this at great personal risk, but with the knowledge that I am informing others of what they have every right to know. Ignorance may be bliss, but it won't stop it from killing you. I am Veritas. And this is the truth.

*****

On Halloween at approximately 1pm, a large number of Death Eaters infiltrated security and entered Diagon Alley, whereupon they proceeded to attack anything within sight. The Death Eater forces were soon engaged in battle by members of the Order of the Phoenix and later, by Ministry Aurors. An unnamed source has verified that the Order of the Phoenix had earlier in the day received intelligence regarding the Death Eaters' raid, and had passed this information, which included the Death Eaters' plans to employ Polyjuice Potion, to the appropriate Ministry officials. The Ministry however, failed to warn the public about the aforementioned attack, which begs the question as to why. Moreover, the apparent ease in which the Death Eaters entered Diagon Alley raises some alarming questions regarding the degree of security the Ministry provides to one of the most frequented areas in Wizarding Britain, particularly as they had been warned of the possibility of an attack.

Despite the horror and pain caused by the attack on Diagon Alley, it was simply a cover for an even more nefarious scheme. Whilst the Order of the Phoenix members and Ministry Aurors were fighting the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley, a plot to assassinate the Rufus Scrimgreour, the Minister of Magic, was being undertaken by You-Know-Who himself. Polyjuiced as Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was allowed unobstructed through Ministry security, and proceeded to confront the Minister. The assassination ploy would have succeeded had it not been for the self-sacrificing act of one of the Minister's assistants, whose name shall be withheld with respect to their family's privacy. The real Dumbledore soon arrived at the scene and engaged You-Know-Who in combat, consequently averting any further attempts on the Minister's life. Both fighters later apparated to Diagon Alley where they joined the ongoing fight, before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his forces retreated.

*****

The Ministry of Magic has recently begun to encourage members of the public to employ their own security measures, and I would like to add my own voice to this cause. This is no time for either panic or complacency. The world we live in at the moment is fraught with peril, and thus we need to take our own safety, and the safety of our loved ones, into our own hands. Devise escape routes from your house, learn some basic defence spells, have first-aid kits and emergency supplies ready for use… All of these are simple ways in which we can give ourselves a better chance at survival. No matter who you are, you are not immune to this. Be ready.

_Upon reaching the end of the article, Harry raised his eyes and met the gaze of his two waiting friends._

_"Did either of you write this?" he asked, handing the paper back to Luna._

_"We were going to ask you that actually," Neville stated in reply, running a hand through his hair._

_"I wonder who did then," Harry sent back as he began to pace around the room. "I don't really know what to make of this," he commented after a time. "I mean I do think that the public has a right to know what's happening. I personally hate being kept in the dark, but this article could wind up doing more damage than good."_

_"It's also worrying that… what's his name again? Um…" Neville began._

_"Veritas," Luna supplied._

_"Right. It's also worrying that Veritas knew so much information. That either means that it's a member of the Order that's writing this or there's a spy amongst us."_

_"Either way it's bad. I don't like secrecy, but I understand why some things need to be kept from the general population," Harry added._

_"Veritas didn't mention Professor Snape at all though," Luna pointed out. "That means they either don't know or they're smart enough to realise just how damaging that information could be in the public's hands."_

_"Any clues on who it could be?" Neville inquired, racking his own brain for possible suspects._

_"It could be anyone, really," Luna sighed. "Dumbledore himself could have written it for all we know."_

_"Well, can't we just ask your dad?" Harry queried. "I mean he is the one who published the article. Shouldn't he know who wrote it?"_

_"Well, I'll write to him and ask," Luna replied, "but I don't know if we'll actually get a definite answer or not. Dad's always been really supportive of aspiring writers and journalists, and has no compunction against including their articles in the Quibbler even if he doesn't necessarily know the person who wrote it"_

_"Well, write anyway and we'll see what happens. I think all we can really do is just keep an eye on what Veritas writes and hopefully, nothing bad will come of it," Harry advised. Luna and Neville just nodded in response, both lost in their own thoughts._

_(End flashback)_

* * *

"I take it you're just as in the dark as I am on the matter then?" Harry asked McGonagall, dragging his mind back into the present.

"I'm afraid so," she responded. "You'll tell me if you learn anything, won't you?"

"As long as you afford me the same courtesy," he answered, prompting his professor to nod in agreement.

"Come on," she broke in after a moment of mutual silence. "Let's go back inside. It's almost time for breakfast and it's starting to get chilly out here."

"Okay," Harry replied whilst standing up and following his professor as she led him back to the main castle. Both remained unaware of the squinting pair of eyes that watched them from behind a nearby boulder. Once they were out of sight, Wormtail twitched his whiskers nervously before turning around and scuttling back into the dark confines of the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

It wasn't until the following morning that a letter from Xenophilius Lovegood arrived borne by Hedwig. Taking advantage of the early morning emptiness of the Gryffindor table, Harry and Neville listened in as Luna quietly read aloud the contents of the missive.

"Dear Luna and friends," she began. "I'm afraid that I don't know the identity of Veritas either, but if it helps, I will explain to you how I originally received the article. About three days after Halloween, I was in my study finalising the contents of this month's edition of the Quibbler.

I was so caught up in my work that soon the clock struck midnight. Just as I was ready to call it a day, a barn owl flew through my window, dropped off its letter and flew straight out again. Needless to say, I just had to find out what the letter contained. When I opened it, I found the article along with short note asking if I would be so kind as to include the article in my magazine. The note was simply signed "Veritas," and there were no real distinguishing features that may have betrayed the writer's identity. I would send you the note itself, but I'm afraid it had a self-incinerating spell on it, which activated after I'd finished reading the note. The same thing happened with the original article after I finished making a copy of it. So yes, I'm afraid I can't provide you with any real help on the matter, as I have no idea who it is either. If I receive another article or note from Veritas, I'll contact you straight away if you like.

Onto other matters, I know it's still November, but the Christmas holidays are coming up soon and you're more than welcome to spend them here. This invitation extends to all of you and anyone else that you want to invite along. You don't have to reply straight away, and if you want to stay at Hogwarts, that's fine too. Just send me a note before the holidays start with your decision.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you all,

Xenophilius Lovegood.

P.S. I'm sorry this letter is so short, but I've been inundated with letters regarding the article, and I have little time on my hands. Don't worry though. The wards make sure nothing dangerous comes through. Luna, hopefully this won't be necessary, but for the next few days please be cautious when receiving mail. I hope all this hubbub dies down soon.

P.P.S. Those feathers of yours are really fascinating, Harry! Luna and I have been exchanging research notes and yet we're no closer to solving the mystery. I'm currently trying to find a way to include them in my replica of Ravenclaw's diadem. Wish me luck!" Luna finished, carefully tucking the note into her pocket.

"So he has no clue either," Harry sighed into his toast.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens then," Neville responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Hopefully everyone will calm down soon too," he continued gesturing to the students and staff members who were all speaking intensely with their neighbours. Although it had only been released two days ago, the article in the Quibbler had caused quite a stir amongst the residents of Hogwarts and indeed, amongst most of the Wizarding population. Veritas' article had caused a scandal and consequently, the Ministry was in damage control at the moment, trying to reassure the public whilst at the same time trying to pretend that the whole incident had not happened in the first place. Many people had outright declared the article a blatant lie whilst others were heralding Veritas as a hero of the people. Sadly, some people had gone against Veritas' advice, and had become so panic-stricken that they were soon admitted to St. Mungo's in case they proved to be a danger to themselves and others.

The same kinds of things were happening in Hogwarts itself, though in a much smaller scale. The name 'Veritas' was on everyone's lips. The Ravenclaws were even at that moment conducting a debate on the issue. A huge number of students had joined in to take part in the debate, and some of the professors were present as well. Hermione was one of the lone Gryffindors amongst the crowd, but that didn't seem to deter her enthusiasm in the slightest.

Although they were pleased that so many people were now aware of the reality of the situation and were now actually thinking about it, Harry, Luna and Neville were not happy with the amount of suspicion that was aimed at them. Just as her father feared, Luna had been receiving hexed and threatening letters, which the trio had taken to just burning on sight. All three of them had also been subjected to random interrogations by both students and teachers alike, and Neville had even overheard that Ministry members were currently trying to get Dumbledore to give them permission to interrogate Harry and the others as well.

On the plus side, upon hearing Luna, Neville and Harry blatantly deny any involvement with Veritas and the Quibbler article, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and a large number of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had taken to helping them deal with some of the more direct attacks and confrontations. Even Malfoy had leant a hand when one of the letters burst into flames during breakfast. For Harry, it was a nice and very welcome change from the outright ostracism he had dealt with during previous years. Still, he didn't like the fact that Luna and Neville were being put though this and this dislike of the situation inspired what he said next.

"Guys," Harry murmured, being careful not to be overheard by the Gryffindors who were beginning to fill the table. "I think it's time we gave everyone something else to think about. Take their mind off this Veritas thing, y'know?"

A slow grin spread across Neville's face.

"You mean another prank, don't you?" Neville deduced, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Well, why not?" Harry replied, glad that his friends seemed so eager.

"You want to implement that prank that we thought up last month?" Luna queried, tucking a stray strand of pale hair behind her ear.

"Well, we've already begun preparations for it," Harry reasoned, "and since it'll affect the whole school, we'll at least get one day without everyone trying to interrogate us."

"We'll need outside help if we want to get this done on time though," Luna pointed out.

"I'm way ahead of you, Luna," Harry laughed. "I knew we wouldn't be able to pull this off on our own so I called in a few favours from the Weasely twins. They're more than happy to help us. In fact, I've already commissioned them to come up with a few toys for us to use."

"How long ago did this happen?" Neville asked curiously.

"I sent them our plans pretty much straight after we came up with them, so everything would be ready whenever we decided to implement it. The twins have even added some of their own touches to the prank though I haven't had the chance to talk to them properly about it yet."

"So how long do you think it will take to pull this off?" Neville questioned.

"Well, I'll send them a letter later today to tell them what's happening. I'll try to arrange a time to floo call them so we can actually go through the whole thing properly."

"Aren't Dumbledore and the Ministry watching the floo network though?"

"Yeah, but not the Room of Requirement's fireplace," Harry smirked. "I asked Dobby about it once," Harry explained in response to the silent question on both his friends' faces.

"We'll have to ask the house elves to help us too," Luna suggested, prompting both boys to nod.

"It'll be hard work, but I reckon that we can have this ready to go by Friday," Harry grinned, sticking out his hand.

"I can't wait," Neville replied, placing his own on top of Harry's.

"I just hope the nargles don't impede us," Luna added, placing her dainty hand on the top of the pile. The boys just smiled warmly in response.

* * *

As the first rays of Friday morning's sun entered the room through the window, Dumbledore stirred sleepily and rolled over. Knowing his master liked to rise with the dawn, Fawkes flew over to the bed and let out a crooning note, hoping to awake the old man from his slumber. This continued for a few minutes until Fawkes decided that the gentle approach was not working and promptly proceeded to steal the man's blanket instead. The cold chill of the November morning instantly jerked the headmaster awake, if in a slightly grouchy mood. Seeing the sun already up in the sky, Dumbledore reluctantly climbed out of the bed, all the while wondering why his body seemed to be screaming at him to remain in bed for the rest of the day. As he dressed and made himself ready, this question continued to plague him, and it was only when he passed his office desk that he remembered why he felt so reluctant to leave the safe confines of his bedroom. Today was the day that the Weasely twins would be visiting.

It had been late Thursday morning when he had received a short missive from the twins asking if they could briefly come to the castle to retrieve something that they had stashed away in the Room of Requirement when they were still students here. Not seeing any real harm in the request, and knowing that the twins would probably find a way to come anyway even if he denied them, Dumbledore had agreed to let them come on Friday morning, which was today.

It wasn't that Dumbledore didn't like the Weasely twins. Indeed, they were some of his favourite students. It was just that things always seemed to happen whenever the Weasely twins were nearby.

"In any case, I should probably go warn the staff before they come," he reasoned in his mind. He knew he should have informed the professors yesterday, but he had put off doing so because he knew that certain members of staff would not be happy with his decision.

Entering the Great Hall, he was pleased to see all the staff already present at the table, each waiting rather impatiently for the house elves to bring them their morning dose of coffee. Glancing briefly at his pocket watch, he reasoned that he had a good two minutes to talk to the staff before the coffee arrived at 7am sharp. If he told the staff now before they had caffeine in their systems, they wouldn't have enough energy to complain to him about the twins' visit.

"Good morning, everyone," Dumbledore began, smiling as he was met with sleep-glazed looks and half-hearted glares. "Just so you, the Fred and George Weasely will be dropping by briefly sometime this morning to retrieve some things they left behind when they were students here."

His announcement was met by a brief silence as the staff tried to wrap their heads around his words, before several agonised groans sounded amongst the professors. This, of course, drew the attention of the few students who were already present in the hall, who promptly abandoned their own conversations in an attempt to eavesdrop.

"Good morning, everybody!" Fred and George's cheerful voices rang out from the entrance to the hall. From their spot at the Gryffindor table, Harry, Neville and Luna grinned and waved, a few of the older students who knew the twins doing much the same.

The feelings of the staff members were summarised rather succinctly by Snape's moan of "Merlin save us."

Just then, the clock struck seven, and coffee magically appeared in the professors' waiting mugs. As one, the staff members grabbed their cups and feverishly dumped the contents down their throats, sighing in relief as the coffee began to work its magic. And that's just what the coffee did.

The students watched with morbid fascination as the professors began to slowly transform. Old, wizened skin grew smooth, bodies began to shrink and, to the amusement of everyone bar the professors themselves, voices began to rise in pitch. The end result was a batch of bright-eyed, rosy cheeked first years, each still wearing their now much too large professor's robes.

There was a pregnant pause before the young Madam Hooch let out a shriek of surprise as she clutched at her clothes, desperate to stop them from sliding off her much smaller frame. Her outburst inspired many of her fellow professors to do much the same, though some were cursing colourfully rather than shrieking. The auburn-haired, eleven-year-old Dumbledore soon yelled for quiet, sounding a great deal less commanding with his high-pitched, young boy's voice.

"Now, first things first," Dumbledore reasoned calmly, taking his wand and casting a spell on his clothes to adjust to his new size, the staff soon following his example. Professor Sprout however, received a great shock when she went to magic Hagrid's clothes, having already done her own. Rather then his clothes shrinking as she intended, her wand instead let out a great "squawk" and turned into a rubber chicken.

Surprised at this, mousy-haired young girl abruptly dropped the rubber chicken and leapt back a pace.

"Oh, please don't let it be so," the eleven-year-old McGonagall groaned as she raised her wand and attempted to spell Hagrid's clothes. Already expecting it, she did nothing but sigh tiredly as her own wand transformed into a short, plastic cutlass. "Weasely fake wands," she explained to her peers. "They allow you to cast one spell properly, but after that they'll turn into some nonsense object," she finished, waving her cutlass around to emphasise her words. Hearing her words, the others each tried their own wands only to have the same result.

"Mr Weasely and Mr Weasely," Snape growled, his face twisting with even greater hatred as the twins just snickered at the small boy's attempt to be intimidating when he barely reached their waists in height. "You will return us to our right age and give us back our wands or so help me, I will kill you."

"I hope you both realise the seriousness of this situation," Dumbledore added, his baby-face trying and failing to look stern and commanding.

"I'm afraid we can't help you, Professors," Fred replied, George smiling sadly behind him. "As much as we'd like to claim credit, we aren't the ones responsible for your de-aging or taking your wands, and since we don't know what potion was used to de-age you in the first place, there's no way for us to reverse the effects. All you can do is wait for it to wear off."

"But these wands are your products," Slughorn pointed out.

"True," George agreed, "but that doesn't really mean anything. Anyone could have gotten a hold of our products if they wanted to. All they'd have to do is walk into our store and buy some."

"And the fact that this happens on the day that you both decide to visit is just a coincidence, is it?" young Snape snapped, gripping his (fake) wand tightly in his hand.

"Now, young Severus," Fred admonished, placing a hand over his heart as in the background George sighed dramatically. "Is that any way to talk to your elders?"

"That's right," George chipped in. "In fact, you should be grateful that this happened whilst we were here."

"And why is that?" the little Dumbledore sighed, sinking into his chair only to be suddenly thrown off of it.

"That's why," Fred explained, speaking slowly as if to a child, which in this case, he was. "You yourself once told us that there are certain things in Hogwarts that are spelled against student interference."

"The staff table and chairs, a professor's private rooms and desks, anything to do with the house points system, the staff bathrooms…" George listed, reciting them from memory.

"Until you return to your normal ages, you can't use or even touch any of these things."

"I won't be able to access the potions stores," a very young but still quite podgy Slughorn gasped.

"Nor I the Hospital Wing supplies," Madam Pomfrey breathed, concern marring her pretty, young face.

"We won't be able to teach either," McGonagall added. "Or give detentions or take house points or anything!"

"Which is why you should be glad that we're here," Fred beamed. "Since we seem to be the only adults in the whole school at the moment, we'll just have to run the school for you."

"While I thank you for the offer," Dumbledore came in, "I think it would be best if we just called for outside help instead."

Upon saying that, he turned around and walked to the fireplace behind the staff table. However, when he reached out to grab a handful of floo powder, he was once more thrown to the floor.

"Students aren't allowed to floo, remember?" George tutted condescendingly.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with us," Fred chipped in.

"Well, you two could just floo for us," Flitwick reasoned.

"Yes, but neither of us really like the idea of bothering others when we can take care of the problem ourselves," Fred responded immediately.

"Yes, it's a flaw of us Gryffindors, I'm afraid," George commented. "And in any case, considering how dangerous everything seems to be nowadays, wouldn't it be better to keep this a secret. I mean, what would happen if You-Know-Who got wind of what was happening?"

The professors scowled as they saw the logic behind this.

"We could owl," Hagrid suggested, still clinging onto his overly large clothes.

"Owls can be intercepted," George stated and feeling bad for the eleven-year-old, shrunk his clothes for him.

"It seems we have little choice but to go with their plan," Dumbledore eventually acquiesced. "Hopefully, the potion will wear off soon."

"And what will we do in the mean time?" Snape asked, his voice laced with acid.

"Why you'll just have to join the first years, of course," George grinned.

"Of course," Fred echoed. "They look the right size to be ickle firsties."

This suggestion was naturally met by much anger from the professors, but in the end they had no choice but to follow the orders of the adult Weaselys. After all, they held no authority in their eleven-year-old bodies. Plus, Dumbledore reasoned that it would a good learning experience for them all, as well as an opportunity to return to their childhoods for a while. Thus, despite strong feelings of reluctance—and for some of them, bitterness— the professors agreed to the Weaselys' plan.

"You won't be able to take over lessons though," Professor Vector pointed out in a last ditch attempt to escape from the situation. "There's only two of you after all."

"Easily taken care of," Fred announced, reaching into his pocket. "Turkish delight, George?" he asked, offering one of the lollies he had brought out of his pocket to his twin.

"Why thank you, Fred," George smiled, accepting the sweet. "And might I just say that it is very fortunate that you brought so many of these with you today. What an excellent opportunity to test our latest invention."

"Right, you are George," Fred sent back. "Well, here's hoping it works."

That said, both the twins simultaneously shoved the Turkish delights into their mouths, and after a few seconds chewing, swallowed. Not three seconds later, the twins began to glow. The light intensified, causing the people watching to shield their eyes. When the light finally died down, they were met with the sight of four identical Weasely twins.

"Oh dear Merlin," Snape moaned. "They've found a way to multiply."

The four Weasely twins repeated the procedure of eating a Turkish delights, and the result was the emergence of eight Weaselys. After doubling their number twice more, the original Fred announced happily that the number of Weaselys was now sufficient to run the school with.

"Happy now?" George asked Vector, ignoring the slight horror colouring all the teachers' faces.

"What an ingenious use of magic!" young Flitwick squealed, despite his slight horror at the situation. "When everything returns to normal, I'd love to hear how you accomplished this."

"Yes, you boys should really come over for tea sometime," Slughorn invited, excited with the prospect of finding new members for his Slug Club.

"We'd be delighted," all 32 of the twins spoke in unison, creeping everyone out.

"Now, we'd best get you lot sorted before the rest of the students arrive," one of the Georges pointed out.

"Good point, George," a neighbouring George praised.

"Why thank you, George," George replied, prompting several of the professors to let out long-suffering groans. Dumbledore already had a headache just thinking about what the rest of the day was going to be like.

"Rusty," one of the Freds suddenly called out.

"Yes, Mr Weasely clone sir?" a small house elf, garbed in a faded red pillowcase asked, appearing with a soft "pop".

"Can you please bring me the Sorting Hat?"

"Of course, Mr Weasely clone sir."

A couple of seconds later, the elf appeared again, this time holding a small stool and the Sorting Hat.

"Why this is a rather unusual event," the Sorting Hat stated. "I'm only very rarely called to sort this late in the year. Well, let's get started."

And so, the Sorting of the young professors began much to the watching students' amusement. All throughout the professors' and the Weaselys' discussion, students had been arriving at the hall, and the students already there had wasted no time in filling them in on what was happening.

Hence, pretty much everyone was present in the hall by now, and had a great time seeing their professors be sorted and ordered around by the mass of Weaselys that lined the staff table.

Once the last professor was sorted (Vector into Ravenclaw), the two original Weasely twins stood up to address their audience.

"Greetings, dear students," Fred's voice boomed across the hall. "Knowing how swiftly gossip spreads in Hogwarts, we have no doubt that you are aware of the current situation."

"Fear not though," George broke in, "for we are here to save the day. All classes will proceed as normal," he continued, smiling as all the students let out a groan, "but please keep in my mind that we are not qualified professors, so we're just gonna have to wing it. We'd also like to remind you that though they are now ickle firsties and don't have their wands, they are still your professors. So, if you're failing a subject or on bad terms with a teacher, it might be an idea to help them out now while they're helpless, so you can guilt trip them later," he advised with a grin.

"And on that poignant note, we'll see you all in class," Fred concluded, leaving the room with all the other Weasley professors.

* * *

Harry's first class was Potions, and for the first time ever, he was actually eager to get there. The lesson didn't disappoint as Professor Weasely took one look at Slughorn's lesson plan, declared it too bothersome to organise, and promptly began to teach them how to concoct a simple potion, which when ingested, made a person's voice rise to hair-curlingly high pitch.

The double of Transfiguration he had next was even better, as Professor Weasely allowed them to spend the whole lesson transfiguring the classroom's furnishings into various sharp-teethed creatures and plants whose attacks they then had to try to evade. Understandably, this also led to the whole class making a quick visit to Healer Weasely in the Hospital Wing, who tutted disapprovingly as he healed their various wounds and bite marks.

* * *

Lunch was probably the best part of the day, however. There were two reasons for this. The first was that the first year students were able to share stories of what their professor classmates were like during the morning lessons. Everyone got a great kick out of the fact that Snape had lost Slytherin 30 points in Charms for not paying attention or trying during the lesson. They got an even greater kick out of the fact that Flying Instructor Weasely had told Dumbledore that he needed to work on his broom-riding skills, and that no, being more than 100 years old was not an excuse when clearly he was only eleven.

The second reason was the little present that appeared in front of each student at the end of lunch. The students wasted no time in unwrapping the small gifts, and each broke out into fits of laughter when they realised what they had each received: a Hogwarts action figure.

The students spent the rest of lunch excitedly showing off their own action figure, laughing as they discovered the special function of each of the figurines.

The Flitwick figurine was minuscule and came with its own magnifying glass.

If you squeezed the McGonagall figure's stomach, the toy would say phrases like "Detention," "10 points to Gryffindor" and— to the confusion of everyone save McGonagall herself— "It unscrews the other way."

The young Professor Sprout was delighted to find that the toy version of herself, which she had been fortunate enough to receive, if buried in soil, would magically grow into a rather pretty daffodil plant.

Several students were unfortunate enough to receive the figurines of Filch and Mrs Norris, and they found out the hard way what would happen if you forcefully pried the two toys apart. It turned out that the two separate parts were spelled to act like attracting magnets.

The Slughorn figurine acted like a Transformer, and if the right parts were twisted and moved, turned into a small toy cauldron.

Harry, who had received the edible, lemon-flavoured Dumbledore figurine, took great joy in demonstrating what to do with it. He waited until Dumbledore, who was sitting across from him, was watching then proceeded to bite its head off, causing the Headmaster to wince in response.

Of all the professors, it was Snape who was the angriest with the toy versions of them. This was probably due to the fact that the small toy Snape came with several different outfits, including a tutu, to change him into.

Needless to say, the students all left for their afternoon classes in high spirits.

* * *

Harry found his afternoon lessons to be just as enjoyable as his earlier ones. In Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Weasely set up a short track and allowed the students to select their own flobberworm to race against each other's. Naturally, the students made bets amongst themselves, and Harry ended up making a small profit from his own flobberworm, Freckles, being the only one to actually reach the end of the track. Most students' flobberworms had gone backwards.

The single of Defence Against the Dark Arts he had next involved the students splitting into two teams and trying to capture members of the opposing team. They were allowed to use the whole of Hogwarts for this lesson, which led to them disrupting many of the other classes. This proved to be disastrous for several members of Harry's team who foolishly tried to hide from the enemy in the sixth year Transfiguration classroom, and soon fell victim to the remaining sharp-teethed creatures and plants left over from their earlier Transfiguration lesson.

* * *

Dinner rolled around much too soon for the students' taste, as at exactly 7 o'clock, the de-aging potion wore off and the professors returned to their normal sizes. Unfortunately, their clothes did not enlarge with them, and for a moment, more skin was shone then strictly necessary. This was soon rectified when the professors chanced upon their real wands in their pockets, and quickly made themselves appropriate once more.

The Weasely twins— their clones having disappeared during dinner— were widely applauded as they took their leave. As no real harm had come from the prank, and since no one knew who was responsible, Dumbledore announced that as long as the pranksters never did this again, no steps would be taken to punish the individuals. Several of the professors, Snape particularly, didn't look too happy with this announcement, but the majority just seemed to want to forget about the whole event entirely. Too bad the students didn't seem so eager to let it drop.

From their place at the end of the Gryffindor table, Harry, Neville and Luna covertly shared a grin, as they listened to the conversations around them. It seemed the name Veritas had been forgotten entirely.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. Just as a side note, I figured I'd explain the reasoning behind the title of this chapter, "Truth and Misrule." Veritas is the Latin word for truth. Misrule refers to the Feast of Fools, which is a festival that is supposedly celebrated in several European countries. During the festival, which was derived from the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, a Lord of Misrule was appointed and presided over a day in which slaves and masters switched roles for the day. Check out Wikipedia if you want more information on the matter.

Anyhoo, this chapter's question: which HP fan fic plot are you absolutely sick of?


	23. Chapter 23: Christmas

**Ends and Means**

Greetings my friends! I hope you're all doing well. I'm sorry that this chapter has taken so long to come out, but it couldn't be helped. I've been busy of late. Thank you so much to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome. I've surpassed 1000 reviews for this story, a fact, which I can barely wrap my head around. I'm thrilled that so many are reading this fic. Thank you all and I hope you like this chapter.

**Response to Reviews:**

**In regards to Harry's wings:**

Sorry if it seems like I'm dragging it out but I'm trying to build up a bit of suspense. Also, there are certain events that I have to make happen before Harry reveals his wings. They aren't just gonna randomly appear during dinner or something, though that would make an interesting scene to write.

****

In regards to pairings:

I am yet to make my mind up on pairing Harry with anyone as I'm focusing much more on the plot and exploring the characters at the moment.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Christmas**

The transition from November to December was marked with very little incident, bar the deepening chill brought forth by the increasing presence of snow and ice. Residents of the castle would awake each morning to find the grounds blanketed by soft, pastel whites and blues, and this continuing occurrence resulted in a slowly, but steadily, mounting excitement regarding the upcoming Christmas holidays.

In a bout of Christmas cheer—and in the hopes of giving the students something else to speak about other than the prank that had been played on the professors a month prior— the majority of the teachers had decided to diverge from the usual curriculum and instead teach them spells and potions, which may be useful for Christmas. This somewhat unexpected Christmas treat was well received by the students. Even students who generally detested Potions found learning to concoct Ever-Burning Brandy to pour on their Christmas puddings to be a worthwhile experience, and those who generally had difficulty in waving their wands in complex patterns whilst uttering words in Latin, found Charms a treat when they learnt how to create and decorate their own levitating baubles.

This decision amongst most of the professors to hold such lessons did not always lead to a favourable end, however.

Snape's seventh-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class ended in an exodus to the Hospital Wing when one stubborn student, who was annoyed by Snape's refusal in giving them a fun class, decided to make the lesson more festive by levitating a piece of 'Weasley's Must-Do Mistletoe' above Snape's head before calling a house elf and sending him over to the man. Upon the house elf entering within a one-metre radius of the glowering professor, the charmed piece of mistletoe activated and Snape suddenly found himself locking lips with a house elf under a compulsion charm. This of course led to the students bursting into unrestrained bouts of laughter, which naturally, led to the vexed professor taking two hundred points from every house and detention for the whole class for the next fortnight, never mind that it was the Christmas holidays. The furious protests from the students that met these statements soon turned into another bout of laughter as the house elf, who had earlier been thrown a good two metres by the humiliated professor, stepped forwards to apologise to the man only to once more enter the one-metre radius and hence, fall under the compulsion spell once more. This seemed to be the last straw for the formidable professor, and though not one hex was thrown, Snape's terrifying visage was enough to cause the students to flee from the classroom and run to the Hospital Wing, begging Madam Pomfrey for sanctuary.

Apart from one or two incidents of this nature, overall good cheer and excitement were the prominent emotions within the castle. The same could not be said for one man; however, who did not get to enjoy being warm and safe indoors and had had no company for more than a month.

Under the heavy darkness prior to dawn, Wormtail scurried out of the rough, nest he had made under the terrace of one of the houses in Hogsmeade, and began the arduous journey from his makeshift home towards Hogwarts. Though his mind was elsewhere, his small, rat legs never once stumbled or strayed as he instinctively followed the path that he had walked several times a day ever since he had been given his mission by the Dark Lord. He reached his usual hiding spot just as the first rays of the morning sun graced the white landscape. Despite the sublime vision that the dawning sun made, Wormtail's gaze was turned away from the sight and instead, firmly latched on the slim, figure wrapped in the voluminous folds of a black cloak, who was perched on a flat rock watching the dawn, oblivious to Wormtail's stare.

"He really does look like James," Wormtail couldn't help but think to himself as he made himself as comfortable as he could amongst the icy bushes he was secreted in. A wave of nostalgia coursed through Wormtail as this thought crossed his mind, and for a moment, Wormtail allowed himself to recall the halcyon days of his youth when he had three best friends who were closer to him than brothers and life had seemed so simple.

"But those days are gone now, and James and Sirius are dead," Wormtail bluntly reminded himself, forcefully dragging himself back to reality. After all, it would not do to dwell on the past when he still had a future to worry about. Yet, despite the fact that he uttered those same words to himself everyday and always made the same resolution to forget the past and live for the future, he found he could not break his daily ritual of holding vigil over the Potter heir each and every morning. It was an unhealthy addiction, of that he was sure, but he could not help himself.

"I'm just watching him as part of my mission," Wormtail tried to persuade himself as his gaze continued to follow the boy's movements. This was actually true to a degree too. It was part of his mission to observe the residents of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Wormtail had justified his actions with this argument so often that it now carried very little credence.

Seeing a familiar thestral winging its way towards Harry, Wormtail knew that it was time he headed back. Atlas, as Wormtail had learnt it was called, was very sensitive to Wormtail's presence, and seemed to harbour a strong desire to eat the rat. So Wormtail did what he did best and fled back into the Forbidden Forest. He continued his trek through the forest until he reached the small, frozen over creek, which marked the boundary of Hogwarts' land. This area was a safe haven for him. It was deep enough inside the Forbidden Forest to limit the chance of him running into other people and, as it was outside the territory belonging to the castle, he would not show up on the Marauder's Map either.

As today was a Tuesday, he knew that it would be another two hours before classes began. That was the only time he could venture back onto castle grounds with some degree of assurance that he would not run into crowds of people and also meant that Harry would be busy with lessons and not be looking at the Marauder's Map. That way, Wormtail could continue his observation of the castle and its residents without anyone being the wiser.

His surveillance of the castle over the past few weeks had resulted in Wormtail's mind becoming a treasure trove of information. He could confidently relate intimate details regarding the residents of the castle such as Harry Potter's class timetable, Minerva McGonagall's favourite foods, where and when Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley met up for their weekly mock game of Quidditch, who Cho Chang now had a crush on, what book Hermione Granger was currently reading…

The amount of data he had gathered was enormous, and he used all of that acquired information to formulate a plan to accomplish his mission. He was determined that it should succeed, and as he had spent such a long time watching and learning about his target's routine, he was fairly certain that he would be successful in his endeavour. The plan was set and the target acquired. Now all he had to do was continue to watch and wait for the opportune moment.

* * *

"Finally," Harry breathed as he signed his name at the top of the parchment with a flourish. He had just completed the last of his homework assignments for the term, which was a particularly nasty report on a complex and rather obscure spell designed to counter an equally obscure and intricate Dark Arts curse. Snape, who had grown increasingly grouchy as the holidays drew near, had assigned it in what seemed like a last bid to make everyone miserable whilst he still could. Harry didn't care though. If he had learnt anything through his years of Hogwarts, it was that Snape's temper worsened whenever everyone else's improved. It was just one of those strange phenomena in life that you accept, but never try to (or want to) understand.

The other professors, on the other hand, had become slightly more jovial and lenient as the holidays approached. Their lessons, consequently, became much more interesting and engaging, though Harry knew that come the next term's commencement, the lessons would return to their former strict and ordered structure.

But that was something Harry was determined not to dwell on. The Christmas holidays had now officially began, and Harry was going to attend Christmas at Luna's house, along with Neville. The three were thrilled to be spending Christmas together, their first of many, Harry hoped. He was a bit sad to think that this would be the first Christmas he would have to spend without Ron or Hermione, who were both staying at Hogwarts, but at the same time, he felt somewhat relieved. Things had changed, and he was no longer that lonely, deprived child desperately clinging to any friend that would have him. He had felt the cold sting of betrayal now, and though he had forgiven his friends their painful, careless words and actions, he could no longer blindly trust them either.

Unhappy with where his musings had led him, Harry removed his glasses and rubbed a hand across his bleary eyes. Replacing his glasses, Harry rolled up his DADA assignment and set it aside to hand in later. He stood up and stretched, casting a tempus charm as he did so. Seeing that he had but twenty minutes to hand in his essay to Snape and make his way down to the Hogsmeade platform to catch the train, Harry quickly shrunk his trunk, placed it into the pocket of his pants. He then made his way out of the dormitory, shutting the door softly behind him, ignorant of the beady eyes that secretly stared after him.

* * *

Even from her perch on one of the window seats in the Gryffindor common room, Ginny could hear the loud peal of the Hogwarts Express' whistle as its engine roared to life and it began its trek back to Platform 9¾.

"And so goes my chance," Ginny whispered to herself, her words seeming to echo around the empty confines of the room. She had hoped that Harry would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, like he usually did. Then, maybe, there could have bee a chance for her to slowly begin to make amends for her past actions. It she was honest with herself though, she knew that she wouldn't have made any headway even if Harry had stayed. She had yet to make any attempt to prove her friendship to Harry, despite him giving that demand so many months prior. It's not that she didn't want to be friends with him again. On the contrary, she craved his friendship desperately. The problem was that she had no real means to prove her intentions. She didn't have heaps of memories to share with him like Hermione and Ron did, so she couldn't appeal to him on that point. She didn't have any great skill or knowledge that she could offer for his use, so she could not try to win back his friendship on those grounds either. She was just Ginny, Harry's Quidditch teammate, fellow Gryffindor and little sister to his once best friend. Sure, she and Harry had gotten to know each other over time and had had some degree of friendship and trust between them, but they were not that close.

"And it seems we will never be," she sighed, misery curling around her chest.

That was other problem Ginny had when it came to renewing her ties of friendship with Harry. She had a crush on him. She had had one ever since she was young when her mum told her stories of the heroic Boy-Who-Lived. She had been thrilled when she first found out the shy, black-haired boy she had met when Ron first caught the Hogwarts Express was her hero. And over the years, as Ron came home with more and more outlandish tales of Harry's courage in the face of peril, she found herself falling more and more under his spell. To her, he was tangible proof that knights in shining armour, who endured countless struggles and miseries in order to do good, existed even in the modern world. Though even she could admit that her crush on him had originally stemmed from her rather shallow, childish aspirations to be the beautiful princess that captures the hero's heart like in fairytales, her love for him had changed and grown the more she had gotten to know him. It was no longer some petty, little crush in her mind. She really felt that she loved him, and wanted to continue to get to know him so that she could grow to love him even more.

This, naturally, made it even more difficult for her to find a way to reconcile with Harry, for she felt that whatever proof of her intentions she gave would not be good for him. Hence, she had spent a lot of time of late brooding upon what would be the perfect way to prove her friendship to Harry. Once that friendship was once more attained, then she could return to their slowly getting to know each other, which she hoped would one day lead to mutual love and affection. She would not force him though, if he did not return her feelings. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to be trapped in a one-sided romance, for she knew that no joy could be derived from such a thing. But as yet she did not know what his response would be, so she would allow herself to continue to dream of what-ifs and maybes.

A slight warming of her wand pulled her out of her reverie as she realised that is was almost four. She had promised to meet up with Draco for a mock game of Quidditch as had become their custom.

She smiled to herself as she gathered up her broom and left to go meet him. She had never thought that she would ever consider the blond a friend, but that is what they had slowly become. At first, the only reason they had hung out together was because both of them were rather out of place in Grimmauld Place. Ginny was only really there due to her parents' and brothers' involvement in the Order, and Draco was only there because he needed to be hidden and protected him from his parents. So they had clung to each other, as like generally do, and from those circumstances a strange friendship had been born between them. It was not a friendship of kind words and helpful actions though. The blond and the red head each had ferocious tempers when riled, and both were skilled with quick wit and even faster spellwork. Hence, their relationship was built upon their fights and debates, each just glad to have someone to vent their frustration on, someone whom they knew could, and would, give back as bad as they copped. Doubtless, many would say that this wasn't a friendship at all, but to Ginny and Draco, it was. They trusted each other enough to show the ugliest parts of the personalities without fear of retribution or reprisal. For them, who had always had to stifle their personal inclinations and natures for the sake of propriety and appearance, it was a welcome breath of fresh air in their lives.

Humming sweetly to herself as she psyched herself up for the upcoming match with Draco, she quickly strolled out of the room, unaware of the watching gaze of a certain rat.

* * *

Christmas approached much too slowly for the eager residents of Hogwarts. Although only a few professors and students had opted to stay, Hogwarts was frantic with activity as everyone tried to keep busy in the hopes of making time pass more swiftly. McGonagall and Flitwick proceeded to embellish the already extravagant Christmas decorations, enjoying the challenge of trying to out-do each other. Filch kept busy by vainly trying to get rid of all the 'Weasley's Must-Do Mistletoe,' which kept randomly appearing above doorways and arches. Ginny and Draco began to forgo their usual game of Quidditch and replace them with furious bouts of snowball fights. Some of the other students had taken to learning and reciting increasingly lewd Christmas carols, which did not impress Snape or McGonagall much, though one student swore that he later overheard McGonagall reciting one of them to a chuckling Madam Hooch.

And all the while that these happy events were taking place, beady eyes were forever watching…

Waiting…

* * *

Christmas with the Lovegoods was an interesting experience for Neville and Harry, especially when you consider how the two boys generally spent Christmas.

For Neville, usually it would involve doing nothing in the morning as his grandmother always asserted that mornings should be a time of quiet and calm. This dull start to the day would then pick up after lunchtime when all available Longbottom members would crowd into the house for a somewhat formal celebratory ball. Here, the older members of the family would dance, drink and catch up with others whilst the younger generation were finally allowed to exchange gifts, open their presents and actually enjoy themselves.

Harry, on the other hand, had experienced two types of Christmases: Dursley-style and Hogwarts-style. Christmas with the Dursleys was pretty much like any other day at the Dursleys as far as Harry was concerned. The only exception was that he had had to cook a bit more, had a few more dishes to wash and at the end of the day, the Dursleys' would grudgingly give him a small present, usually in the form of a sock, coat-hanger or something along those lines.

Christmas at Hogwarts did not really have any tradition or style to it. It was basically a do-as-you-like kind of day, where you could just hang out with your friends and enjoy the feast that the house-elves put on.

Harry had also technically experienced a third type of Christmas: last year's Christmas in the Headquarters of the Order, but he was discounting this experience on the grounds that he had spent most of it either in a hospital or worrying about being possessed by Voldemort. Moreover, thinking about that particular Christmas brought forth memories of Sirius, and Harry couldn't face that wave of grief and guilt just yet.

Thus, Christmas with Luna and Xenophilius was a welcome change for Harry and Neville, especially as the father and daughter had a certain routine just for this day. At breakfast, which was late enough to allow everyone a decent sleep-in, the group enjoyed a traditional English breakfast. Once everyone's hunger was satisfied, they went for a short hike around the surrounding area, delighting in the beauty of the snow-covered trees and clear, silvery sky. Upon their return to the house, they all crowded around the decorated Christmas tree in the living room, where they then leisurely opened the presents gifted to them.

Harry's hoard of presents was larger than last time's, a fact, which surprised him greatly.

As always, the Weasley clan supplied a vast array of different homemade sweets, as well as one of Mrs Weasley's knitted jumpers. From Fred and George, he received a kit of new novelty products whilst Ron had sent him a book detailing all the current Quidditch teams in Europe, which even included small, magical screens that replayed the highlights of each of the matches the teams had played. Remus gifted him with his old DADA school textbook that was covered in the scribbles of all four of the Marauders, along with a leather wand holster, which Harry immediately strapped to his arm and placed his wand in. From Ginny he received a small, crystal bird that was charmed to fly and warble sweet, soothing melodies, and from Hagrid, he received an onyx charm in the shape of a thestral on a long, silver chain. Malfoy, surprisingly enough, had sent a small selection of Honeydukes products, and Dumbledore and McGonagall, both of whom Harry had not dreamed of receiving gifts from, each gave him a few photos of his parents in their school days to add to his collection. Xenophilius gifted him with the book Of Defensive Magicks: Spells to Counter Any and All but One, which was where he had originally found the glamour spell that hid his wings. Luna and Neville had banded together for his present and given him a magical camera and a black leather album.

It was Hermione's gift though, that really got him excited.

In the final Potions lesson before the Christmas holidays, Slughorn had held a competition in which the students had had to brew the Draught of Living Death. The student who brewed the best potion would receive a tiny, glass bottle of Felix Felicis, which was essentially a twelve-hour dose of liquid luck. In the end, Hermione won the vial much to her joy and her classmates' envy. Hence, Harry was both extremely surprised and extremely honoured that she had chosen to give him half of the precious potion for Christmas. He was also quite relieved that he had decided to send Hermione and the others presents as well, despite their slightly unsteady relationships with him.

After the gift-giving was over —Harry's gifts of a set of Quick-Quotes Quills for Luna, a pair of tough but comfortable dragon-hide gardening gloves for Neville and an encyclopaedia of both Muggle and Wizarding myths from around the world for Xenophilius, were quite well received by their respective recipients— the four had a hearty lunch. For the next few hours, each of them helped out in the kitchen, cooking vegetables, making a roast, baking puddings and generally just preparing everything needed for dinner. The fact that everyone contributed to the making of the meal made their Christmas dinner all the more delicious when they finally ate. After dinner, they all retired to the living room where they talked and laughed, simply enjoying each other's company.

This jovial atmosphere was not to last however, as all of a sudden the flames in the Lovegood's fireplace suddenly shone green. Ever cautious, Harry stood and flicked his wand out of his new holster, gripping it tightly in his hand, his gaze narrowed.

"The fireplace is warded to stop anyone who wishes to cause us harm from entering," Xenophilius assured, but he too had decided to edge on the side of caution, and had his wand ready in his hand. Luna and Neville also copied their stances; their eyes fixed on the green flames of the fire. From its depths had spewed a large, dark figure whom Harry took a moment to recognise as Professor Snape.

"Professor?" Harry called uncertainly, not lowering his wand.

Snape ignored his call however, and without even pausing to regain his composure, lunged at Harry, gripping the young man's shoulders in a vice-like grip before Harry could even react.

"The map! Give me the map!" Snape growled, shaking the Potter heir roughly.

"Wh-what?" Harry exclaimed, slightly cowed by the sheer ferocity of Snape's visage.

"Give me the Marauder's Map!" the pale man demanded, emphasising his words with a violent shake of Harry's shoulders.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Neville abruptly yelled, the spell instantly causing Snape's limbs to snap to his side. Xenophilius caught Snape's body as it dropped to the floor whilst Luna rushed to check if Harry was okay.

"Get a hold of yourself, Professor Snape," Xenophilius commanded as the immobile man's eyes continued to glare at the Potter heir.

"Thanks, Neville," Harry nodded after assuring Luna that he was uninjured. Harry then turned to look at the professor who had so suddenly attacked him. He had only ever seen the man that agitated once before: when Harry had viewed Snape's worst memory during his final Occlumency lesson, and even then the man had been able to retain enough control to refrain from physical violence. Not this time, however. Whatever had happened had shaken the man down to his very core.

"If I release you from the bind, will you be calm enough to speak and act rationally?" Harry inquired, watching the man carefully. Snape was, of course, unable to answer so instead settled for blinking his eyes once to show his acquiescence.

Readying his wand, Harry quickly glanced at Luna, Neville and Xenophilius, who he was relieved to see were standing ready with their wands in case the volatile professor tried anything once released. Bracing himself, Harry released the spell on the professor. Pulling himself off the floor swiftly, Snape addressed Harry once more, this time taking care to control himself and maintain a short distance from the boy.

"I need to use the Marauder's Map, Potter," Snape explained tersely. "Give it to me."

"Why do you need it?" Harry asked curiously.

"There's no time to explain. Just let me use it," Snape snapped. Seeing that Harry was unmoved by his sneered supplication, Snape visibly steeled his nerves and uttered a word that Harry never thought he'd hear come from the man's lips. "Please."

Aware of the effort that this must have cost the man, Harry finally relented and withdrew the Marauder's Map from the mokeskin bag that hung around his neck. Turning his back briefly so Snape couldn't read his lips, Harry activated the map by touching his wand tip to the parchment and mouthing the words, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," before turning back and handing the anxious professor the map.

"You will explain this after you are done," Harry ordered as he observed the almost frantic way in which Snape was scouring the map.

"Shit!" Snape cursed after several minutes of desperately scanning the entirety of the map. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Shocked by the swear words pouring from the man's lips, Harry once more commanded the professor to explain what was happening.

"During lunch, the Headmaster made be pull apart one of those foolish Christmas crackers," Snape burst out, as he paced the room. Rolling his eyes at their bewildered expressions, he continued his story. "Instead of finding a joke inside it as you are supposed to, I found a slip of paper, which read: 'There is more than one way to punish a traitor'." He paused in his pacing and looked Harry directly in the eyes. "It was signed with a small paw print, about the size of a rat's."

"Wormtail," Harry breathed, his grip once more tightening on his wand as Snape nodded.

"I immediately informed the Headmaster about the message, but all he could do was check the wards and inform the staff of the threat. I spent the day under the Headmaster's supervision whilst the rest of the staff kept an eye out for anything suspicious. It was only just a moment ago as the castle was settling in for bed that we discovered what the note really alluded to."

Remembering the fanatical way in which Snape had searched the Marauder's Map, Harry put two and two together.

"It wasn't you that Wormtail was targeting," Harry whispered. "It was Malfoy."

"Yes," Snape agreed, his face pinched tight. "And there's more."

"More?" Harry questioned, already shaken that a student had been kidnapped whilst within the castle grounds. Snape's next words however, chilled Harry down to the bone.

"Ginny Weasley is missing as well."

* * *

A/N: On reflection, there's not actually that much dialogue in this chapter. I was kind of more focused on providing some insight into the characters. Expect a fair bit of action in the next chapter though. Also, for the record, just because Ginny has a crush on Harry doesn't necessarily mean that they will become a couple in this fic. So please, all you Ginny haters out there, don't give me grief over it!

This chapter's question: what is the best HP crossover fic you have read?

For me, I once read this insanely good HP/Blackadder crossover, which focused on Blackadder siding with Voldemort in his bid to take over the world whilst simultaneously conspiring to stab Voldie in the back later on and assume power for himself. It may have worked too if Baldrick hadn't come up with a cunning plan…


	24. Chapter 24: Turning Fate

**Ends and Means**

Hi everybody! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about taking so long to update, but life has the tendency to keep me busy. Hopefully, the long wait has been worth it. I'm not making any promises on when I'll next update— I'm going travelling soon. Brisbane, here I come!— but I have at least started the next chapter. Anyhoo, no more beating around the bush. Enjoy!

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* * *

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Chapter 24: Turning Fate

For a long moment, silence reigned throughout the Lovegood household as its occupants tried to wrap their heads around the dreadful news they had just heard.

Ginny and Draco… kidnapped_. _

The horror behind this statement was further enhanced by the fact that they had been kidnapped from Hogwarts. Harry had long accepted that Hogwarts wasn't the Eden of safety and invulnerability that many considered it to be. He had faced many dangerous situations there over the years, from bloodthirsty magical creatures to facing the spirit of Voldemort himself.

But that was _him._

Over the years Harry had become strangely resigned to the fact that bad things seemed to happen to him. He didn't like it, but it had simply become one of those constant factors in his life. For it to happen to other people; however, left Harry feeling very cold inside.

Harry's inner reflections were cut short by the sound of Snape abruptly striding towards the fireplace.

"I'm returning to Hogwarts," he stated, his hand already reaching out to take a pinch of Floo powder from a nearby container. For a second, he paused, his throat working as if to say something, his eyes locked on Harry's. Then the moment was gone and he vanished in a burst of green flames.

Once more silence filled the room, before it was broken, this time by Neville.

"We need to do something," he declared, his voice shaky but resolute.

"But what?" Luna queried, her eyes shining seriously. Although she and Ginny weren't close, she did consider the red head a friend, and they had even partnered up in class once or twice.

"I don't know, but we have to think of something," Harry replied as he fingered his wand.

"Are you sure about this?" Xenophilius spoke out for the first time. "I know that they're your friends, but you will be putting yourselves in danger if you do decide to do something like this."

"Of course, we're sure," the three of them chorused in reply.

"We can't just abandon them," Luna asserted, Harry and Neville nodding in agreement.

After a moment of studying them, Xenophilius sighed.

"If you are so sure, then I won't stop you. Besides, based on what happened last year, you'd probably manage to go even if I did try to stop you," he chuckled ruefully. "However, I really don't like the thought of any of you putting yourself into a dangerous situation or taking more risks than necessary. So if you're going to go, then you're going to have a damn good plan, one, which I approve of. I'll also try to help in any way I can."

"Thank you," Harry breathed, touched by the trust that Xenophilius was showing them. He turned to Luna and Neville. "Now, any ideas on what to do?"

Luna and Neville's faces took on thoughtful expressions in response to Harry question, neither immediately coming forward with a suggestion.

Inside his mind, Harry groaned. He wasn't good at planning like this. Generally, he was in the middle of whatever trouble there was and so all he had to do was think on his feet and do whatever he could at the time. Coming up with complex plans ahead of time was something he had usually left to Ron and Hermione…

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed, startling Luna and Neville out of their thoughts. "I think we should get Hermione and Ron over here," he suggested, in reply to the questioning looks that the other three occupants were throwing him after his unexpected outburst. "Knowing them, they're probably doing the same thing we are, so we may as well pool all our strengths together."

"They may also be able to tell us what the Order is up to," Neville pointed out, "or even where Ginny and Malfoy are being kept."

"Do you have a way to contact them, Harry?" Xenophilius asked.

"Sending Hedwig would take too long," Harry promptly replied. "Plus I don't want to send her out in this cold."

"Your owl would be too obvious anyway," Xenophilius pronounced. Upon noticing the inquisitive looks he was receiving, Xenophilius elaborated. "Harry, you are somewhat renowned for pulling off stunts like this. If, all of a sudden, your owl is seen winging its way towards Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, don't you think that they would assume that you were up to something?"

Harry frowned. He hadn't considered that.

"I suppose Floo is out as well then?" Neville asked, turning his mind to this new problem.

"Not necessarily," Luna chipped in. "It would all depend on whom it is we Floo. I agree that Flooing the Gryffindor common room may be a bit obvious, but if we could Floo someone else and have them pass on the message to come here…" she trailed off.

"I suppose that would work, if they were inconspicuous enough, but who?"

Suddenly, the image of Snape hesitating in front of the fireplace flashed through Harry's mind.

"Snape," Harry proclaimed, the name twisting his lips.

"Snape?" Neville repeated in a bewildered manner. Luna and Xenophilius, on the other hand, were nodding.

"You saw the look he threw Harry before he left," Luna reminded Neville.

"And he never did tell any of you _not_ to do anything, as he probably should of," Xenophilius added.

"You think he wants us to be the ones to rescue Ginny and Malfoy?" Neville inquired.

"No," Harry shook his head. "I think it's more that he wants every option to be open. Look, I know that Snape's an uncaring, old git to us, but Malfoy is his godson. Snape wants Malfoy rescued no matter what, and if there's a chance that we could come up with a way to save him, then I don't think he'd stop us. He'd maybe even help us."

"I'm still not sure, but it's worth a shot, I guess," Neville shrugged, waving Harry towards the fireplace. "It's probably best you do it, Harry."

Taking a pinch of green powder, Harry was about to toss it into the flames when a thought hit him, prompting him to pause.

"Um... Does anyone know what address I'm supposed to call out?" he asked, mentally smacking himself for not thinking of this earlier.

From the looks on the faces of the others, they hadn't either.

"Well, shit," Harry groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "There goes that idea. Can anyone think of another plan?" he asking, hoping that someone would be hit with a spark of inspiration.

Silence met his query.

Letting out a long breath, Harry returned the Floo powder back to its pot, and began to pace the length of the room. On his third circuit, something caught his eye. It was the Marauder's Map, still lying open on the table Snape had tossed it down on before he'd left.

His eyes immediately focused upon the cluster of black dots filling Dumbledore's office. It was clear that an Order meeting was taking place.

Scouring the rest of the map, Harry's eyes finally landed upon the two names that he was after. In their respective common rooms, the few students, who had decided to stay over the holidays, were holed up. Hermione and Ron were among them, though the two of them were sitting apart from their Gryffindor peers. Harry couldn't help, but smile nostalgically as he noticed where exactly in the common room the two of them were sitting. It was the same corner that he had often sat with them in the past when coming up with lesson plans for the DA…

Once more, a light bulb flashed above Harry's head.

"I'll be back in a sec," he called as he raced out of the living room. Entering the room he and Neville were staying in, he quickly opened his school trunk. After a few minutes of pawing through his belongings, Harry found what he was looking for: the coin that Hermione had charmed last year in order to communicate with the members of the DA.

At the start of the school year, Harry had planned to continue the DA, but those plans had eventually been abandoned as other things had taken up Harry's time. As such, he doubted that most of the members still carried the coin on their person— some had probably even spent it! —but he suspected that Hermione may still keep it on her. It seemed like something she would do.

Running back into the living room, Harry held the coin up for the others to see and watched as realisation bloomed across Luna and Neville's faces.

Not wanting to be caught doing underage magic, Harry passed the coin over to Xenophilius, and after explaining what the coin was, taught him to cast the necessary charm on the coin.

"Hermione, Ron: Come to Luna's," Neville read the small words now engraved on the coin over Xenophilius' shoulder. "But how will they get here?"

Harry just shrugged in response.

"Hermione will think of something," he replied, feeling convinced of this. The four of them watched Hermione and Ron's dots on the Marauder's Map with bated breath; hoping that Hermione did indeed still keep her coin on her. Upon their seeing the two dots leave the common room and slip away into the deserted sixth year boys' dormitory, everyone released their held breath in a whoosh of relief.

"It's up to them now to get here," Harry murmured, "so let's get back to thinking of a way to save Ginny and Draco."

"I have had a thought on that," Luna volunteered, "or at least on how we can get there."

Seeing the boys' inquiring glances, Luna continued.

"We can get there the same way we got to the Ministry of Magic last year: riding on thestrals."

"But the thestral herd lives in the Forbidden Forest, Luna," Neville pointed out. "How would we get there?"

"And last year, we actually knew our destination," Harry chipped in. "I'm not sure that just saying 'taking us to Ginny and Malfoy' will be enough."

"Well, I figured you probably could get the thestrals to come to us, Harry," Luna shrugged. "Atlas is the alpha thestral after all. If you could get him to come here, I'm assuming the rest of the thestral herd would follow his lead."

"I have gotten him to come to me once or twice by flaring my magic," Harry admitted. "But only Atlas responds to that. He's never brought the herd with him"

"Maybe that's because you were on Hogwarts grounds at the time," Xenophilius speculated. "Most magical creatures generally wish to stay near their alpha. Perhaps by calling Atlas to come here, the distance will be great enough that the other thestrals will come too, just so that they can stay near their alpha."

"It's worth a shot, I suppose," Harry shrugged. "Though I still don't know how where going to find out where to go."

"Maybe Hermione and Ron will know where they're being held," Neville pointed out.

"Let's hope it's that easy," Harry replied. "Won't I get in trouble for underage magic though? I'm surprised we haven't had a Ministry owl come by already for that Stunning curse you shot at Snape."

"Bugger, I'd forgotten about that. They likely sent it to my Gran though," Neville speculated. "No doubt she'll smooth things over. She has a lot of clout at the Ministry, or at least so she says. Apparently, my Dad got into trouble a few times for accidental magic over the years, and he never got more than a slap on the wrist for it thanks to Gran."

"That's so unfair," Harry groused, thinking of his own run-in with the Ministry for underage magic last year.

"As long as you don't use your wand, you're fine," Xenophilius cut in, before Harry could dwell too long on the issue. "That's why kids don't get into trouble for accidental magic. The Ministry can only track wands."

"Fine," Harry let the issue drop and forced his attention back onto the task at hand. "Shall I call Atlas now or later?"

"Now," Luna answered. "It may take them a while to get here from Hogwarts."

"All right then."

"Wait a minute please, Harry" Xenophilius suddenly called, stopping Harry before he even started. Without another word, Xenophilius raced out of the room.

Sharing bemused glances, the trio waited for the man to return.

POP!

With a loud crack, Hermione and Ron abruptly appeared in the room, each holding a hand of Dobby's, startling the room's occupants into drawing their wands.

The tense moment was soon shattered by a happy shout of "Master Harry Potter, sir!" before Harry found himself in the vice-like hug of an excitable house elf.

"Cor, don't scare us like that," Neville exclaimed, holding a hand over his heart and lowering his wand. "A bit of warning would've been nice."

"Sorry," Hermione grinned, laughing as she watched Harry's futile attempts of escaping Dobby's tearstained greeting. "But we wanted to get here as soon as possible."

"I want my sister back," Ron stated bluntly, his worry and anxiety clearly written across his face. Hermione smile died as she placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"We all do," she concurred as the others nodded in agreement.

"Dobby, you need to get back to Hogwarts," Harry stated seriously laying a gentle hand on the head of the small elf. "Thank you so much for helping us like this, but you should go back now before you get into any trouble."

"Master Harry Potter is so good to Dobby," Dobby cried in response. "I will do as Master Harry Potter says."

And with another sharp crack of displaced air, the elf was gone.

"Now, let's get down to business," Harry started briskly. Did the Order tell you anything? Where they are, what the Order's plans are, things like that?"

"Unfortunately, no," Hermione sighed.

"They just told us what happened, ordered us not to do anything then shoved us into the Gryffindor common room," Ron added. "Even though she's _my _sister…"

"Bugger," Harry cursed. "Well, that means we need a new way to work out where they are. Why can't life ever be easy?"

"I found it!" Xenophilius' yell cut through the ensuing silence as he happily ran back into the room. He paused for a second upon spotting the newest arrivals, greeted them with a quick "Xenophilius Lovegood. Pleasure to meet you," before turning to Harry and shoving something into Harry's face. That something turned out to be a strange looking headdress decorated with different odds and ends, including several precious stones and—to Harry's amusement— two of his white feathers, which he had gifted Xenophilius with months prior.

"May I present to you my recreation of Ravenclaw's diadem! Of course, it's still a work-in-progress, but I couldn't possibly pass at this opportunity to test it with you."

"Does it… does it do anything?" Harry asked, hesitantly.

"Originally it didn't," Xenophilius admitted bluntly, "but after I added some of your feathers to it, I've been able to see things with it."

"What kind of things?" Hermione questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her. She knew all about Ravenclaw's diadem from reading _Hogwarts: A History_, and the thought of someone trying to recreate it interested her, despite the slight scepticism she felt due to it being Xenophilius who was making the attempt. He was the publisher of The Quibbler after all.

"I've been able to see magic," Xenophilius responded, "in much the same way that you described you saw it, Harry."

"What do you mean?" Ron inquired, bewildered. "Everyone sees magic, you know, flashes of coloured lights, et cetera."

"That's true, but not every spell produces a visible imprint like that. _Wingardium Leviosa, _for example, doesn't produce a coloured light when you cast it. All you see is the object levitate. You don't actually see the magic."

"And this allows you to?" Hermione asked, gesturing at the headdress clutched in his hands.

"Yes," came the man's succinct reply as he placed the headdress carefully on his head, Harry's white feathers sticking out the top like antennae. "Now, Harry, why don't you try calling for Atlas?"

"We'll explain later," Neville told Ron as the red head opened his mouth to protest. It was obvious that the red head was unhappy that they weren't focusing on rescuing his sister.

Harry ignored them and focusing his magic let it flare once, twice, three times. He heard Xenophilius gasp at each successive flare, but paid him no mind, concentrating instead on withdrawing his magic back into his body, being careful to leave a small cloud of it around himself. He really hoped that Atlas had gotten the message, but they would have no way of knowing it was successful until the thestral actually appeared.

Turning to Xenophilius, he was surprised to find the man staring at him with his mouth agape.

"Wow," the man finally breathed after several long moments of gawking. "Harry," he began before pausing and regarding Ron and Hermione. "Do they know about…" Xenophilius trailed off, gesturing towards Harry's back.

"Yes, they know about my wings," Harry answered the unasked question. "You can speak freely in front of them. I trust that they will keep anything they hear to themselves," Harry stated, the underlying threat clear to everyone.

Upon Ron and Hermione nodding to show they understood, Xenophilius picked up where he'd left off.

"Looking at you now, Harry, magic-wise you just seemed to have this golden haze around you. When you flared your magic however, not only did the haze condense into a blinding flare of light, but I could also make out the outline of your wings and… And your scar was different too. It shone even brighter than the rest of your magic and there was this… bright green thread of light that went from your scar and through the roof."

"WHAT?" Harry yelled, his hand automatically rising to cover his scar.

"Hmm…" Hermione hummed as a thoughtful look stole over her face. "Since no one has ever survived the killing curse before, we have nothing to base things off, but we do know that there is some kind of connection between Harry's mind and Voldemort's. Maybe this is just visible proof of that."

"Still…" Harry trailed off, his hand still hiding his scar. Of course, he knew he and Voldemort had this connection. The events last year made this clear enough to him, but it wasn't something he liked to dwell on, and being confronted with such news just made his uneasiness and fear grow. He felt he needed to see it for himself though, so he pushed aside his fear and focused once more on his magic. Carefully he began to draw the constant haze of magic back into his body, squinting his eyes as the light from the surrounding magics brightened to a painful degree without the protective film of the barrier. It was too much for him though, and he soon abandoned the idea in fear of becoming blind, so he replaced the veil of magic around him and instead asked to borrow the headdress.

This time, he did the opposite and let his magic flare up. Just as Xenophilius had described, Harry could make out the outline of his wings among the haze of magic, and also see the dreaded green thread of light travelling from his forehead out through the roof.

"I think we just found a way to find Ginny and Draco," Luna stated, as she watched Harry sigh and remove the headdress. "We just have to follow that thread."

"But how do we know if You-Know-Who is in the same place as Ginny and Malfoy? They could be in completely different places for all we know," Ron pointed out.

"He may be, but I doubt it. I think he knows that the Order is going to try to rescue them somehow. If not the Order, then he'd probably expect Snape to at least try. This whole scenario is meant to be to get revenge against Snape, after all. Voldemort would want to be there to catch whoever comes to rescue them," Harry muttered in response.

"Which means it'll be all the more dangerous for us," Neville groaned.

"Remember, I'm not letting you any of you go unless I'm sure that you'll all be safe. I don't want you to take any unnecessary risks," Xenophilius reminded them. "In fact, I'd feel a lot better if you'd let me be the one to actually break in and rescue them. I am, however, well aware of my own limits when it comes to magical prowess and duelling skills, and I concede that in this area, you kids have a much better chance of succeeding. I am able to make you some portkeys though, so I can at least provide you with a way to get back here, but since I have to make them strong enough to bypass the wards, I'm afraid I only have enough magic to make two of them."

"That's our escape covered then, and we can use the thestrals and Harry's scar connection to get there," Hermione listed. "Now we just have to work out how to infiltrate Voldemort's base and find Ginny and Malfoy."

"We need a distraction," Ron stated, his mind running through possibilities. "Something that You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters won't expect and won't know how to react to… Wait a sec! Mione, don't you have some of that luck potion? Maybe if we had a bit of luck on our side, then we can come up with a way to get them out safely. At the very least, it couldn't hurt to have some in our system when we go…"

"I left my vial in my trunks at Hogwarts though," Hermione frowned, before turning her gaze to Harry.

"I have my vial here," Harry replied to her unanswered question. "I'll go grab it."

"Mr Lovegood, would you mind making those portkeys for us?" Hermione requested.

"Of course, my dear," Xenophilius replied, looking around for suitable objects to charm. He settled for using the DA coin Harry had used to contact Hermione earlier, and the broken shaft of a quill, which he found in the rubbish bin.

"These should be small enough to hide discreetly on your person, and they won't be able to be activated unless you say their respective passwords," Xenophilius explained, as Harry entered the room a small vial clutched in one hand and his Invisibility Cloak in the other. "The password for the quill is 'treble,' and for the coin, it's 'croquet.'"

"Treble and croquet, got it," they all nodded.

"Hey, I was just thinking," Harry began, when everyone's attention focused back on him. "I think it'd be best if just I go."

"WHAT?"

"Just hear me out," Harry pleaded. "You guys said yourselves that Voldemort expects some kind of rescue attempt so it'll be a lot easier for one person to slip in compared to all five of us. We only have two portkeys, which means that if any of us were to be separated someone would be left without a way to get back. Also, I've only got one Invisibility Cloak, and since we don't know how far away Voldemort's base is, I may end up needing all six hours of luck."

"I don't like this, Harry," Xenophilius pursed his lips before he sighed and handed over both the portkeys and the headdress. "But you have a point."

The other teens also nodded reluctantly.

"Well, bottoms up!" Harry toasted as he threw back his head and downed the golden potion. Immediately Harry felt himself being overwhelmed by an immense feeling of contentment and self-assurance. It was as if a whole new realm of ideas and possibilities were suddenly available to him, and he was confident that in the end, everything would work out for the best.

"Right," Harry grinned, "Well, if that's all, I should get going."

That said, Harry turned around and began walking towards the window.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Neville asked, looking alarmed.

"We haven't come up with a proper plan yet!" Ron exclaimed. "We still need to think of a distraction."

"But I just have a good feeling about this window," Harry replied, pulling it open with a flourish, before vaulting out of it. Fortunately, it was a ground-storey window. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've got Lady Luck on my side, after all," he winked.

"Damn, I forgot about the side-effects of Felix Felicis. Apart from luck, when taken in large doses it can also cause extreme giddiness and over-confidence," Hermione recited.

"As much as I hate to admit it, time is of the essence. We can't afford to waste any more time or the potion will wear off when he needs it most," Xenophilius groaned. "We'll have to let him go."

Harry just nodded along.

"Everything will work out," he stated matter-of-factly. "Leave it to me."

"If you're not back or haven't contacted us within six hours, then we're going to tell the Order," Xenophilius asserted, crossing his arms. Harry nodded in assent.

"We'll prepare things for when you and the others get back while we wait for you, in case you need medical assistance or are followed" Luna chipped in. "You better come back though."

"We'll also try to find out what the Order plans to do, in case their plans clash with ours," Hermione uttered, gesturing towards the still open Marauders' Map.

"Take care of yourself, mate," Ron softly pleaded. "And Ginny and the ferret too."

"Of course!"

That said, Harry ignored the rest of their calls in lieu of greeting the dozens of thestral, who now flanked the house.

"Your herd has grown," Harry smiled as he patted Atlas' flank. "I wonder if this means that the other thestrals in the world are coming to be near you?" Harry wondered, a feeling in his gut telling him that this was the case. "Do you and the other thestrals mind helping me tonight?" Harry asked, knowing that he couldn't just expect them to do as he liked.

In response, Atlas lowered himself, indicating that Harry should mount him. Thanking the creature, Harry quickly wrapped his Invisibility Cloak securely around himself before clambering onto Atlas' back. Once he was on, Atlas took to the air, the rest of the thestrals following in their wake.

_

* * *

_

(A few hours earlier…)

"Missed me!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she ducked another snowball and retaliated with her own. She giggled as it found its mark, colliding with a satisfying squelch against Draco's pale face. He sputtered comically as he wiped the soft whiteness from his brow.

"I'll get you back for that, Weaslette!" Draco growled trying to sound fierce, but the slight upturn of his lips belied his true feelings.

The snowball fight became even more ferocious as both teens upped the ante. After an exhilarating twenty-minute exchange of blows, both teens shook hands in truce as both struggled to regain their breath.

Rubbing his aching hands along his arms in an effort to warm up, Draco indicated to Ginny that they should head back to the warmth of the castle. Not wanting to even risk a chance of missing the Christmas feast, Ginny nodded and both began the trek back.

For a while, there was silence between the two, both content to just listen to the sound of their footsteps and quiet gasps for breath. That silence was broken however, when Draco spotted a small, dark shape burst forth from the foliage of the Forbidden Forest and begin to race towards them.

"What's that?" the blond mused as he pointed out the tiny creature.

"Looks like a squirrel or a rat or something," Ginny guessed, then smirked as an idea came to her. "Maybe it's a ferret coming to wish its kin a merry Christmas?" she joked, looking pointedly at the blond.

He just scowled in response, still embarrassed by what had happened in his fourth year.

"It's weird that it's coming straight towards us though," Ginny pointed out with a frown. "Considering how much noise we're making, I'd have thought it'd be trying to avoid us."

The two of them kept walking as they watched the little creature, which they could now distinguish was, in fact, a rat, continue to come towards them. When the rat got within ten metres of them, they stopped, glanced at each other and grasped their wands within their pockets. As if finally noticing their presence the rat changed its course and ran sideways behind a large drift of snow.

A chuckle escaped Ginny's lips as she forced her hand to loosen its tight grip on her wand.

"Geez, we're really paranoid, aren't we?" she admitted, shaking her head.

Draco just sighed and took his hand out of his pocket.

"C'mon. Let's get back to the castle already."

They began walking once more, albeit at a noticeably faster pace. As they passed the snowdrift the rat had darted behind, both looked around carefully before relaxing when they failed to see the rat.

"ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

Ginny abruptly began sneezing violently, causing Draco to turn his attention back to her.

That was all the distraction that the little rat that was burrowed inside the snowdrift needed. In a matter of seconds, the snowdrift burst apart as the rat resumed his true form and Draco and Ginny didn't have time to react before the rat-turned-man lobbed a snowball at them. The snowball flew true, hitting Draco in the side of the face.

Much to Wormtail's surprise, the snowball broke apart at the impact, and a decent-sized portion of it landed on the red head. Before either had a chance to blink, the two children had disappeared with a pop.

Knowing his master would be happy with his success, Wormtail whipped out his own portkey and vanished.

* * *

Momentarily stunned and disorientated by the unexpected portkey trip, it took Ginny several precious seconds for her mind to process the dangerous situation she had been suddenly thrust into. During that momentary lapse of attention, her cloak, beanie and scarf had been taken from her and she found herself struggling with a tall Death Eater who was trying to snatch away her wand. Unfortunately, the man was stronger than she was, and she didn't even get a chance to use her wand before it was taken.

Draco, had fared a bit better than her and had managed to shoot off a few hexes at the small, watery-eyed man who had appeared soon after them and was now trying to steal his wand. For a brief moment, Ginny had thought that Draco would best the small man, whose lack of duelling prowess was obvious when compared to the graceful, powerful fighting form of Draco, but alas the blond was soon overwhelmed by the combined efforts of the small man and the Death Eater who had taken her own wand.

Defenceless and with their captors pointing their wands at them in a threatening manner, the teens could do nothing as the tall Death Eater lewdly began to search her remaining clothes and her body for any hidden items. Fortunately, nothing too degrading had been done, but a touch here, a leer there… Tears streaked down her face as the humiliation and fear got the best of her. And to make matters worse, it had all been done in front of Draco. She had never seen Draco so pale and outraged before, not even when he too was subjected to the same treatment by the same creepy Death Eater.

The perverted Death Eater and the smaller man had then proceeded to drag the two of them through a series of twisting corridors before finally arriving in a large hall with a dark, wooden throne situated on a tiered dais the only visible piece of furniture. A few hundred candles scattered at various intervals around the room cast a flickering glow around the room, but even their light was not enough to quell the darkness engulfing the room.

At first, Ginny thought the room to be empty of anyone save them. Then she noticed the tense posture of Draco beside her and the respectful pose of the two Death Eaters who were restraining them. All three were facing the shadowed throne, which Ginny had previously dismissed as empty. Straining her eyes in the weak light, Ginny studied the chair more thoroughly then abruptly wished she hadn't as her eyes connected with a malicious, red gaze. A swell of fear overtook her as realisation came to her.

You-Know-Who, the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Voldemort, Tom Marvolo Riddle… all names for the man in front of her. All names, which inspired fear in her, but none more so than the name Tom Marvolo Riddle, for it had been he who had hurt her the most. The trauma she had suffered in her first year of schooling had never truly been dealt with. Oh sure, she smiled and laughed and for all intents and purposes moved on with her life, convincing those around her that she was fine. But in truth, she wasn't. You don't just forget things like that. You may find ways to lessen the pain, but the memories and emotions that you experienced don't just go away with time. Instead, all that happens is that they freeze inside you, crystallising into scars that stain your soul. In this way, you distance and isolate yourself from the pain, but should something happen that pokes at the scars and reopens the wounds…

And this was what was happening to Ginny as she took in the form of the man who had once possessed her. The crippling fear and revulsion, which she had so carefully tucked away roared back through her with a vengeance, and her legs collapsed beneath her, her throat too choked up to even screamed. From the satisfied gleam in his eyes, Ginny knew that the Dark Lord was aware of his effect on her and was revelling in it. Beside her, Draco tried to shift towards her in an attempt to shield her with his body, but the hands that restrained him were unyielding.

"Well, well, well," Voldemort smirked leaning back comfortably in his chair, "look what the rat dragged in. You have done even better than I had hoped, Wormtail."

"Thank you, my Lord," the small man who held her bowed, his wand still trained on her neck in case she attempted something.

Despite the maelstrom of crippling emotion that was still swirling inside her, the name 'Wormtail' penetrated Ginny's mind. She knew a bit about him from some of the conversations that she had overhead whilst at Grimmauld Place. He was the man who had betrayed Harry's parents, and from the sounds of things, was the one responsible for her and Draco's current predicament. At this realisation, a burning rage began to beat through her being, burning away all other emotion in her. You-Know-Who was an enemy she instinctively knew she was no match against. That coupled with the paralysing fear that warped her due to her past experience with him left her with no doubt that she would be useless against him.

But Wormtail was a different story. Thanks to his duel with Draco, she knew for a fact that he wasn't particularly powerful or skilled, and the fact that he was the man who had caused so much pain to Harry and now Draco and herself…

_I WILL KILL HIM._

The words entered her mind, brushing all other thoughts aside. She couldn't kill Voldemort, but she could kill Wormtail. Deliberately focusing on this anger, the crippling emotion she had felt towards Voldemort vanished and her head cleared. Forcing herself back onto her feet, she turned her concentration back towards the conversation around her.

"Welcome, young Draco, to my humble lair. I trust you will enjoy your stay here," the Dark Lord chuckled darkly. "And young, Miss Weasley," he continued turning his burning gaze towards her, "You are an unexpected guest of mine, but I'm sure we will find some way to accommodate you too. Won't we everyone?" This last part was directed to the room in general, and taking this as their cue, several Death Eaters entered the room forming a loose circle around the children, their bone-white masks coloured an ominous red by the candlelight.

"It seems there's been little entertainment for my faithful of late, and since it's Christmas, I thought it'd be nice for us all to play a little game," Voldemort continued, his voice laced with fake good humour. "I have no doubt that your added presence here, Miss Weasley, will make it even more fun."

Unsure but fearful of the fate that awaited them, Ginny glanced at Draco, who was staring at a nearby Death Eater whose long, pale hair was swinging freely down his back: Lucius Malfoy. Knowing about Draco's fear of his father, she swallowed convulsively before discreetly reaching out, grabbing Draco's hand and squeezing it gently. His gaze flicked towards her and he nodded, the message that she was trying to convey, clear.

_Whatever happens, we have each other._

"Aww… look at them holding hands," Voldemort sneered. "I wonder if you'll still be so willing to be near each other when the game's over. Well, let's find out. Bring in the board!"

Ginny tightened her grip on Draco's hand as she waited with trepidation to see what horror the board the Dark Lord had called for would bring.

When she finally glimpsed the board, she couldn't help but feel confused. She had been expecting some torture device riddled with spikes and sullied with blood. What she saw however, was a clean circular disk, mounted on a tripod and divided into numerous sections. Each section was coloured a garishly vivid colour making the whole board look like a rainbow-faceted giant cake. There was writing within each different coloured section, but she couldn't read it from this distance. She did make out the curious ring of metal pins, which traced the perimeter of the circle and the weird, piece of hanging wood that sat at the top the tripod and dangled between the top two metal pins. As the two Death Eaters who were carrying the board ascended the steps of the dais, Ginny saw the circular board rotate gently in sync with their movements.

"Bring the players forward!" Voldemort commanded as soon as the board had been set down beside the throne. As Ginny was pushed forward, she was finally able to discern the words written within each segment on the board. What she read made her want to throw up.

_Five minutes with Lucius.._

_Five minutes naked._

_Five minutes upside-down._

_Five minutes with Bella._

_Five minutes with Antonin. _

_Five minutes begging for your life._

_Five minutes with Rabastin. _

"Are you ready to play?" Voldemort inquired, dragging Ginny's attention away from her reading. The Dark Lord cackled as neither of the teens responded. "The rules are quite simple really. All you have to do is spin the wheel. Whichever segment this stops on," the Dark Lord explained, gesturing to the small strap of wood hanging at the top of the tripod, "will be your fate. Don't worry, I've made sure to give you a fighting chance," he announced with wicked cheer as he pointed out a lone black segment with the words '_Five minutes to escape' _written on it. Ginny was surprised that that had even been included, but the fleeting feeling of hope that it had inspired was soon crushed as she realised how unlikely it would be for the wheel to stop on that segment considering just how many other segments there were.

"Be careful if you're trying to go for that outcome though," Voldemort continued, "because you might end up landing on this one," he grinned, placing his finger on the golden section right beside the black one.

Ginny felt her hand trembling within Malfoy's as she read the small string of words, which the Dark Lord was currently caressing.

_Five minutes to die. _

"And since we have been graced with two players tonight, I shall even be kind enough to let them be the ones to pin the wheel and decide each other's fates. Well," Voldemort grinned as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Shall we begin?"

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Well, there you have it. What do you think? For those who didn't pick up on it, the game that Voldie and his friends are playing is a messed-up bastardisation of the Australian game show _Wheel of Fortune_. No doubt there'll have been a similar game show in the States and UK at some point, so hopefully most of you will get the reference.

This chapter's question: I want to continue to have Luna, Neville and Harry play pranks at Hogwarts. I have a few ideas for future pranks, but I would be open to suggestions. If I use a prank of yours, I will, of course, acknowledge you publicly for it. So, what pranks would you like to see Harry and co. do?


	25. Chapter 25: Tick Tock

**Ends and Means**

Hello everyone! Believe it or not I'm still alive. I'm so sorry that it's taken so long for me to update, but I've been busy completing uni and even spending a year studying abroad in Japan.

As an apology for taking so long, I've decided to give you a very long chapter (8790 words!). I'd say I hope you enjoy it but this isn't going to be a fun one to read, I'm afraid. It is essentially a torture chapter, after all. I don't really write gore so there's nothing too bad in here but I have to admit that I scare myself with just how capable I seem to be with coming up with strong, psychologically-damaging methods of torture. _Shudders. _

A big shout out to all those people who have either pmed me or left a review asking me to update. It was you guys who inspired me to once more take up this story, and I hope you will continue to both support me and bully me into writing. Lol.

Without further ado, the long awaited next chapter!

P.S. Beware the swearing! Dun dun dun!

* * *

**Chapter 25: Tick Tock**

Despite the desperate and likely dangerous rescue mission he would soon be undertaking, Harry soon found himself overcome with boredom. He had been in the air for what he guessed was a couple of hours now— he couldn't actually check the time since his watch was still broken and he didn't dare risk casting the _Tempus_ charm in case he got busted by the Ministry for doing underage magic again. However long it had been was time enough for Harry to become fed up with simply sitting idly on Atlas' back only occasionally having to steer, so he had taken to admiring the view spread out beneath him.

The light of the gibbous moon cast a silvery glow over the mosaic of trees, land and water patterned below him. Since he was wearing Xenophilius' headdress, he was also able to see the faint pinpricks of magic here and there, shining out like golden embroidery on the dark landscape.

Although it was a cold night especially so high up in the air, his thick winter clothes, which Xenophilius had had the foresight to cast a warming charm on prior to his leaving coupled with Atlas' warm presence was enough to keep Harry pleasantly comfortable whilst he continued his observations. The herd of thestrals were like silent shadows flitting around him, their breath and the flapping of their leathery wings the only sounds he could hear apart from the whoosh of the wind rushing passed his ears. All in all, it was definitely the most boring and relaxed start to a rescue mission he had ever had.

Unfortunately, the people who he was intending to rescue weren't having such a pleasant time.

* * *

"Come, my dear. Don't keep us waiting," Voldemort gestured regally from his throne. "Proper etiquette must be observed, after all. So ladies first."

Trembling, Ginny began to take reluctant steps towards the wheel, Wormtail's wand still trained on her neck. When the distance became too great, she was forced to let go of Draco's hand and she almost wept at the loss of that small comfort. Finally reaching the dreaded wheel, she shared one last look with Draco before she steeled her nerves and spun the wheel.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

Peering through her tears, she forced herself to read what awaited her friend.

Five minutes to enjoy a drink.

"Oooh, this is a good one," Voldemort leaned forward in his chair and rubbed his hands together. "Being in the drink!"

Ginny watched with trepidation as the circle of Death Eaters momentarily broke apart to let in another masked member, this one carrying a silver goblet. As he approached, the swirls of purple smoke wafting from the brew became visible and she saw Draco begin to shake slightly.

Unable to stand the thought of him facing this alone, Ginny flung herself away from Wormtail and his wand, and ran to stand by Draco. Grabbing his arm, she hugged it to herself even as his own hand twined with hers in a death grip. Neither looked at each other, but instead, stared at the hated masked face of the cup-bearing figure in front of them.

"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!" the Death Eaters chanted around them.

"Drink!" ordered Lucius Malfoy as he placed his wand against his son's pale neck.

Sill unable to watch, Ginny buried her face in the nape of Draco's neck, choosing instead to glare at the tip of Lucius' wand, which rested beside her lips. Hugged so close to him, she felt rather than saw Draco reach forward to take the goblet. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Wormtail close in on her, his wand once more taking up its place against her neck.

"Drink," Voldemort whispered from his throne, his voice barely reaching their ears.

And Draco drank.

* * *

"This really is amazing," Harry whispered to himself as he stared at the gleaming outline of his wings. After a while, the landscape he was flying over had begun to blur into a big blob of sameness, so he had instead turned his attention towards the study of Xenophilius' recreation of Ravenclaw's Diadem and the magic it allowed him to see.

His wings were objects of fascination for him as he could now see the interplay between the magic of the feathers themselves and the silvery sheen blurring his wings' shape caused by the _Moon Stealth_ potion.

Tearing his gaze away, he turned to examine the herd of thestrals around him, curious to see if they exuded any magic at all. At first glance, he dismissed the notion. Although thestrals were magical creatures, the diadem only seemed to show active magic. Hence, although he could see the presence of the charms and incantations woven into his wings (and from their colours make a reasonable summation as to what kind of magic it was), he could not see the unused magic residing in either the thestrals or even within his own body.

After taking a few more moments to study them; however, Harry noticed that he could in fact see something magical around the thestrals. It was very subtle; not a bright light but more of a strange, shifting shadow overlaying each creature. He would not have noticed it at all if it weren't for the strong moonlight. He had dropped his gaze down to Atlas' back and had by chance noticed that although his upper arms and chest were rather brightly lit, his hands and lower body were not despite there being nothing above or around him to block the light and cause a shadow. He began to experiment, shifting his body back and forward and even asking Atlas to stop flapping his wings and just glide for a bit in order to see if the shadow shifted as well, but it didn't. No matter what he did the shade remained, eerily floating around the thestral's body.

"I wonder what kind of magic it is," he mused to himself. "I've never seen shadowed magic before. Is it just really faint, weak magic or is the diadem not powerful or refined enough to see it properly?"

Ignoring his rider's contemplative mutterings, Atlas continued to silently lead his herd, following the ominous green thread that connected the Boy-Who-Lived to the Man-Who-Refused-To-Die.

* * *

Ginny shuddered as she held Draco tighter as his body continued to spasm. Screams ripped intermittently through the air as the potion continued to work its way through his system, its progress marked by the threads of black tracing through his veins with every beat of his heart. Still Ginny held onto him, crushing his left arm between her body and his. She hoped to offer at least some form of comfort to him and simultaneously prevent him from doing any great injury to himself. She didn't; however, do anything to stop him from flailing around his right arm, watching with no small amount of satisfaction as it managed to catch the Death Eater in front of them with a solid hit. Quickly the surrounding Death Eaters stepped out of reach, all except for Lucius who kept his wand resting where it was. Ginny continued to glare at it even though inside her heart was breaking for the suffering boy in her arms.

Suddenly, due to a particularly violent spasm, Draco's free arm twisted behind him and smacked his father firmly across the cheek. That brief moment of distraction was all Ginny needed. With a sharp crunch, Ginny's teeth encircled the tip of Lucius' wand, desperation lending her the strength to bite cleanly through both the wood and dragon heartstring core inside.

Seeing what she had done, Lucius roared and shoved her— and consequently, Draco— to the floor.

"I'll kill you, you little bitch!" the pale-haired man bellowed as he chucked his now useless wand away and snatched up Wormtail's, ignoring the man's protests.

Despite the terror she felt as she looked up at the murderous man in front of her, Ginny refused to cower. If these were to be her last few seconds in this world, then she would be strong. She would die knowing that she had fought 'til the very end, and that although she hadn't been able to kill him, looking into his eyes now she could tell that she had destroyed him. Lying on the ground with her arms locked around his only son and his wand tip still resting inside her mouth, she had, in a sense, stolen away two of the things that meant the most to both him and his reputation: his family and his magic.

As he levelled his wand at her, Ginny let a smug grin steal over her features. She was proud. Not that she was a Gryffindor, or a Weasley or even that she was a witch. She was proud of herself: that she would be the one who finally caused Lucius Malfoy's cold, controlled composure to shatter so completely and that realisation washed everything else away.

"You've lost, Lucius," she smiled, utterly content with herself for the first time in her life. What did anything else matter when you were moments away from death anyway?

Snarling, Lucius drew breath and spoke.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

* * *

When the herd of thestrals began their descent, Harry was overcome with a brief moment of startled bewilderment as the sudden change in altitude forcefully snapped him out of the dumb stupor he had fallen into.

At one point during the trip, the wind had picked up and he had been afraid that that the recreation of Ravenclaw's diadem would be blown off his head. Planning to put on the diadem every once in a while so he could check that they were still on course following the green thread of light that connected him to Voldemort, Harry had stashed it within the mokeskin bag around his neck for safe keeping. It wasn't long though before he had realised that Atlas seemed to be able to sense and follow the thread without Harry or the diadem's assistance. Thus the diadem had remained tucked safely away and Harry had been left with nothing to do.

He didn't know if it was because he had been sitting still doing nothing for so long or if it was a side effect of consuming Felix Felicis, but at some point during his flight, he had forgotten just what it was he was about to do. Berating himself thoroughly for forgetting such an urgent issue, Harry forced all other thought out of his mind and concentrated on observing his immediate surroundings.

Atlas was now flying closer to the ground affording Harry a much clearer view of the landscape. Beneath them lay what Harry knew must be a forest, but seemed to him more like a pool of shadow pulsating in time with the wind. Compared to the darkness below him, the manor they were approaching appeared rather inviting with its pale, stone surface gleaming in the moonlight and a small pond glittering serenely on its grounds.

Harry was not taken in, however. He knew very well how deceptive external appearances could be, and there was little doubt in his mind that what awaited him inside would be anything but pleasant. Ginny and Draco had been in Voldemort's custody for several hours by now, and he shuddered to think what they had been subjected to.

"Hold on just a little bit longer," he murmured into the night. "I'm coming for you."

* * *

A flash of acid-green light flared into everyone's corneas and then nothing. Silence filled the room as a body dropped onto the floor, eyes staring blankly. An empty silver goblet rolled noisily out of a hand's slackened grip before coming to halt as it hit Ginny's feet.

The red head gaped at the dead body in front of her, her horror eclipsing any feeling of relief she felt at having had survived.

"You forget your place, Lucius," Voldemort commented silkily as he lowered his wand. "Mr Malfoy and Miss Weasley are my guests, not yours. I hope this fact does not slip your mind a second time else I will be using you next time. Consider this your one and only warning."

"O-of course, my Lord," Lucius replied shakily as he stared down at the corpse before him. "I did not mean to overstep your authority. Forgive me."

"It is only on account of your past service to me that you are still alive," Voldemort continued as he watched the pale-haired aristocrat bow his head in chastised submission. "Though I understand your… frustration with this blood-traitor, your lack of self-control has just forced me to sacrifice a loyal follower."

"Again, I beg your pardon, my Lord," Lucius grovelled.

"Return Wormtail's wand to him."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Perhaps some manual labour will help you calm your temper, hmm? You will remove Burgis' body from this room and deal with it appropriately."

"Of course, my Lord."

"Oh, and Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"_Crucio_."

Wincing as the man's screams of agony echoed around the room, Ginny finally broke from her stupor and turned her gaze to the Draco's pale form beside her.

"Are you okay?" she whispered as she quickly checked him over. Although his screaming had subsided, his muscles would still spasm sporadically every few minutes and sweat was puddling around him.

"T-the pain's… starting to… go away," Draco choked out as he blinked barely lucid eyes.

In the background, Lucius continued to convulse and scream.

"Is there… Is there anything I can do for you?" Ginny asked as she tried to ignore the sight of her friend's father continuing to convulse in pain.

"C-could you…block my ears please?" Draco rasped as a tear welled in one eye, stubbornly clinging to his eyelashes. "He may be a bastard… but he's still… he's still my…"

"I know," Ginny murmured quietly before carefully placing her trembling hands over his ears. She leant her forehead against the crown of his head as she grit her teeth and waited.

After what seemed an age but really was just a few moments, Voldemort released Lucius from his spell and sent him from the room, dragging the body of the man whom had unwittingly and unwillingly become a human shield for the Dark Lord's guests.

Ginny removed her hands from Draco's ears and helped him sit up when she saw Voldement had turned his attention back onto them.

"I do hope you'll forgive for that unpleasant little interlude," the Dark Lord apologised insincerely. "But you needn't worry. We shall endeavour on and continue our game."

A cheer rose from the crowd as Voldemort once more took his seat and gestured to the waiting wheel.

"Now, I believe it is young Draco's turn to spin for Miss Weasley."

Another roar of encouragement came from the watching Death Eaters as Wormtail bore down on Draco with his wand drawn. With no other choice, Draco—with a fair bit of assistance from Ginny— levered himself up and stumbled onto the platform. With a shaking hand, he reluctantly spun the wheel.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

With bated breath, Ginny watched as her fate was decided. She couldn't hold back the faint thrill of hope that shot through her when she saw the black segment labelled '_Five minutes to escape'_drawing nearer, but it was short-lived as the wheel stopped just two segments shy on a brilliant orange segment.

"Five minutes creeping and crawling," Voldemort read aloud with a sadistic grin. "Ooh, Lucius will be most disappointed he missed this one. It will be… most entertaining, I'm sure."

Uncertain as to what was going to happen to her, Ginny flinched back when the Dark Lord aimed his wand at her.

"A word of advice, my dear," the grin on his face stretched horrifically wide, "don't get squashed."

Ginny had no time to even scream before the spell hit her and then there was a twisting, turning pain ripping through her body. She could hear Draco's yells and jeering laughs echoing strangely around her before her hearing started to fade and her eyes rolled up into her head. All she knew next was darkness.

Whilst Ginny's mind retreated inside itself to escape the pain, Draco could only watch in sickened fascination as he witnessed the effect of Voldemort's spell. Gone was her red hair and soft skin, replaced with a shiny carapace and a pair of twitching antennae. Where once was only two legs, there was now six, each thin and sticklike. Her body had shrunk too and was now the size of Draco's big toe.

"Doesn't she make a lovely cockroach?" Voldemort asked him as the Death Eaters around them roared with perverted merriment.

Draco's mouth opened to reply but nothing came out. He was too repulsed by what he had witnessed to even begin to think of something to say.

At Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall had repeatedly stressed the dangers and complications of human transfiguation. Although turning someone into a toad may be a common threat heard amongst Wizarding folk, the actual application of human transfiguration on others was almost unheard of. And for good reason too. Not only were such spells ridiculously complicated, but also they could easily become fatal to both the caster and the victim should a mistake be made. In addition, using human transfiguration spells on anyone but yourself was widely considered to be highly immoral and could result in the caster becoming a social pariah.

Draco knew first-hand was it felt like to be transfigured against his will. The imposter Mad-Eye Moody's transfiguring him into a ferret was a memory that still stirred feelings of panic and embarrassment, and he hated the fact that Ginny was now being subjected to the same shameful treatment.

"And this isn't even the best part," the Dark Lord continued as he took in Draco's disgusted demeanour. "What do we do when we see a cockroach crawling on the ground?" he turned and questioned the masked mob in front of him.

"We step on it!" the crowd screamed in response as they all raced forward.

What occurred next could only be considered to be absolute mayhem as everyone left, right and centre hiked up their robes and began to chase the terrified insect around the room. Draco would have found the whole spectacle humorous if it were not for the fact that Ginny was stuck helpless somewhere amidst the chaos. The roach had quickly gotten lost amongst the stamping feet as it darted to and fro, fleeing for its life.

"I'm afraid a large portion of my followers seemed to have had a drop too much fire whisky with dinner tonight," the Dark Lord commented idly as he and Draco watched the madness from the safety of the dais. "Still, I suppose it's all right. Tonight is a night of celebration after all. I just wish some of them would show such lively enthusiasm when they were sober…"

Bemused by the idle chitchat, Draco just nodded absent-mindedly as his eyes continued to scan the ground for any sign of Ginny. His concentration was broken; however, by the Dark Lord's next words.

"Watch out," Voldemort advised as he pulled Draco back a pace to avoid being hit by the flailing arm of one of the more energetic Death Eaters.

Thrown by the uncharacteristic act of kindness, Draco's eyes narrowed as he tried to work out the man's ulterior motive.

"I don't want you to get hurt when it's not your turn," the Dark Lord answered, easily reading Draco's thoughts from his expression.

Draco shivered as Voldemort's eyes lit up maliciously.

"And I'm glad to see that you've decided to join in on the fun," Voldemort chuckled darkly as his gaze slid from Draco's face to land on the boy's foot.

Draco glanced down to see what had caught the Dark Lord's eye.

Beside his foot was a cockroach.

"Ginny! Thank Merlin," Draco breathed, relieved his friend had escaped from the throng of madly stomping Death Eaters.

All feelings of relief soon left him as Voldemort's words filtered into his mind. Swiftly crouching down to get a better look at his friend-turned-roach, Draco let out a gasp of horror as he finally understood what he had done. When he had been pulled back a step by the Dark Lord, Ginny must have already been standing behind him for pinned beneath his shoe was the tip of one of the cockroach's spindly legs.

Before Draco could even begin to process what he had unwittingly done, Voldemort spoke again.

"Five minutes is up."

The cockroach before him began to morph once more. Slowly, Ginny's body transformed back into its human form and size, perfectly whole but for the crushed foot that was still beneath his shoe.

The deranged crowd of Death Eaters applauded him as he carefully pulled his foot off of Ginny's mangled extremity before collapsing onto the ground beside her to check her breathing and pulse. Both were steady but her complexion was ashen as blood pumped out from the remains of her foot. Ripping a strip from the bottom of his shirt, Draco used it to create a makeshift tourniquet in an effort to prevent the redhead from bleeding out. He daren't even touch the mass of blood, bone and skin that was now her left foot.

"Well done, my boy," Voldemort patted him on the shoulder, causing Draco to flinch backwards. "I think you've just managed to prolong her life somewhat, which is excellent because we need her alive to spin the wheel. Wormtail?"

A quick jab with his wand and Ginny's pain-filled eyes were forced to open.

"Gah!" she panted as her face screwed up in agony. Tears coursed unwaveringly down her cheeks.

"Your turn to spin the wheel, my dear. Let's not keep young Draco waiting."

Ginny's sad eyes met Draco's for a heartbeat before she reached behind her and weakly spun the wheel.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

"Five minutes upside-down," Voldemort called out as he twisted around to level his wand at the Malfoy heir. Draco swallowed and braced himself.

* * *

About 200metres from the main building, Atlas and his herd finally landed, taking shelter within a copse of trees. Wasting no time, Harry slid off Atlas' back only for his legs to collapse underneath his weight. Swearing quietly, he began to furiously massage his legs in order to restore circulation and regain some strength and warmth in his numb limbs. His ministrations worked, and after a brief and painful few minutes of pins and needles, Harry managed to lever himself upright and remain standing. A few moments of pacing to steady both his gait and his nerves later found Harry was ready to go. He had just stepped determinedly forward to begin his journey to the manor when he was halted by Atlas' grabbing the back of his cloak is his mouth.

A surprised "Wha-?" escaped his mouth as he was tugged forcefully backwards. Looking back, Harry saw the star thestral eyeing him with dark, chiding gaze before it turned its head to eye the area directly in front of Harry.

"Is there something there?" Harry asked scrutinising the same spot. Seeing nothing, Harry reached into the mokeskin bag around his neck and retrieved the replica Ravenclaw's diadem. He jerked back in shock when he saw just what Atlas had saved him from walking into.

Before him was a blazing wall of golden enchantment. Looking carefully, Harry could also see threads of both silver and black woven into the construct.

"The wards," Harry breathed kicking himself for not remembering the likelihood that his destination would be strongly protected. "I'm lucky you were here to stop me, Atlas. The whole mission would have been over before it even began otherwise."

Atlas regarded him steadily in reply.

It wasn't difficult for Harry to interpret the look.

"I'm not being careful enough, am I? I'm relying too much on the fact that I've drunk Felix Felicis that I've almost compromised my common sense with my cockiness. Shit, I'm such an idiot. Ginny and Draco are in danger and I've done nothing but get swept away in the fake confidence provided be a lucky potion. Pull yourself together, Potter. Luck does not equal assured victory."

Slapping his cheeks to wake himself up, Harry once more thanked Atlas before pulling his attention back to the wards stretching in front of him.

"Even if I can see the individual spells that make up the wards, it's useless if I can't identify them or don't know how to counter them. Even if I did know the counterspells, I doubt the wards failing would go unnoticed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. So… my best bet would be to somehow get through the wards without setting them off at all. But how?"

Frowning, Harry looked around him for some sort of inspiration. His eyes eventually landed on a thestral standing patiently beside the wards. In the light of the golden wall, Harry could once more see the shadowy haze that drifted around the beast's body. His frown morphed into an inquisitive tilt of lips when he noticed that although the thestral kept it's physical body away from the wards, the shade of magic around it would occasionally touch and even penetrate the wall as it continuously shifted.

"I know that most people ward their houses against both people and offensive spells and such," Harry reasoned aloud, "but there must be some forms of magic that are allowed through. It would probably have to be really subtle magic, such that the wards wouldn't be able to sense it… Maybe if I…"

Harry called a portion of his magic up out of his core and let if drift around him, careful that none of it touched the wards. Slowly, Harry began to force the haze of his magic to change to match the wards in front of him. He could feel sweat dripping down his face as he urged his magic to mimic the play of gold, silver and black.

"There," he panted as he finally finished. "Let's see if this works."

Carefully, Harry urged his magic forwards. He held his breath when the haze met with the wards, only to sigh in relief when there was no immediate sign of alarm or retribution. Spreading his magic across the ward to create a big enough space for him to easily walk through, Harry tentatively reached out and touched that area of the wards. Once more, nothing happened. Buoyed by this success, Harry removed Ravenclaw's diadem from his head and stored it away before cautiously stepping through the wards. The night remained undisturbed around him.

"I did it," he breathed, relief rolling off him in waves. Behind him the thestrals began one by one to walk through the gap in the wards, Atlas in the lead. Reaching him, the star thestral crouched down clearly waiting for Harry to mount once more.

"You're all coming too?" Harry queried, as he slid onto the creature's back. A plan bloomed in his mind.

"That just might work."

* * *

'Just five minutes. Just five minutes. Just five minutes,' Draco chanted in his mind as he shut his eyes and tried to ignore the pressure building up in his head and the roiling contents of his stomach. He felt his body dip in the air as another Death Eater caught him with a spell before another spell sent his body flying through the air, only to be caught by someone else's spell once more and the whole process repeated.

When he had heard that he was to spend five minutes upside-down, he had felt a large degree of trepidation but that had at least been tempered by the fact that his punishment seemed quite straightforward and a great deal more bearable than what he had been subjected to earlier. What he should have taken into consideration; however, was the fact that the Dark Lord's mind was a twisted, sadistic thing and that nothing in life was ever as simple as it seemed.

Upon the Dark Lord's prompting, the five minutes upside-down had soon devolved into a bastardised version of catch, with Death Eaters taking turns flinging his helpless body across the room. The motion sickness this treatment caused combined with the raging headache of having all the blood rush to his head left Draco in a continuous haze of pain and disorientation.

At long last, the five minutes was up and Draco celebrated the reclaimed familiarity of having his feet on the ground by unceremoniously vomiting on the shoes of several nearby Death Eaters. This action would have likely gotten him cursed if not for said Death Eaters remembering what had happened to Lucius earlier in the game.

"If you're quite finished, it's your turn to spin the wheel again, my boy," Voldemort reminded from his throne. Draco glared at him as he brushed a sleeve over his mouth to remove the lingering vestiges of vomit. He slowly began to pull his body forward with his arms as he focused his gaze on Ginny's wan form and the wand Wormtail still had trained on her defenceless body. He knew that he had no choice but to spin that blasted wheel, but he'd be damned if he didn't take as long as possible just to give both himself and Ginny a little more time to recover before the next round.

Eventually reaching the wheel, Draco gritted his teeth and spun the blasted thing.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

"Five minutes to kiss and make up," Ginny read in a breathy whisper, her fear shared by Draco. Both had a very bad feeling about this one.

"Ooh, this is one I'm sure you'll both enjoy," Voldemort promised, rubbing his hands together. He slanted a look at Ginny, his red gaze beaming into hers as he raised his wand once more.

"Let's see what you're made of, my dear. _Imperius_."

Utter terror raced through Ginny's veins before it was smothered under a wave of numbness. She suddenly felt nothing but calm, happy to simply be in the moment. Distantly she thought she could hear a voice that sounded quite like her own screaming something at her, but it was like trying to hear underwater and she soon gave up. A whisper right next to her ear caught her attention, however.

"Kiss young Mr Malfoy," it coerced softly.

The screaming voice in the background continued to bellow unintelligible words at her but the voice was drowned out by the much closer, much more intimate one.

"Look at poor Draco. Look how hurt and scared he is. A kiss would make all his pain go away. A kiss would make everything better again. So kiss him. Kiss him with all your might. KISS HIM!"

And with those two words the last of Ginny's free will was wrenched away. Her body rose shakily, and— like a zombie— she shuffled forward with her injured leg dragging sickeningly behind her towards the Malfoy heir.

"Oh sweet Merlin, Ginny. Please snap out of this!" Draco pleaded when she reached him, his eyes desperately searching hers for some form of sentience. He was met; however, with a blank stare and bloodless lips pulled into an unnatural pucker.

Unwilling to put up a fight and possibly further injure Ginny's damaged body, Draco shut his eyes, cradled her body so that he took the weight off of her mangled foot and let the _Imperius_ed girl do as she had been commanded.

Wolf whistles and jeers were directed at the pair when Ginny regained control of her mind once more. She was startled to find herself locked in Draco's protective embrace, both of their chins dripping with saliva and lips swollen. It didn't take her long to put two and two together. Tears glittered down her cheeks as she observed Draco's tightly shut eyes and furrowed brow and the reality of the situation crashed down upon her.

"D-Draco..? I… I'm so… I-I—" she cut herself off, unable to continue as her shoulders began to heave with sobs.

She tried to wrench herself out of Draco's arms, certain that he would want nothing to do with her any more. After all, how could they ever look each other in the eye after something like this?

"You… You did nothing wrong," Draco murmured, refusing to release her. He had finally opened his eyes, but wouldn't bring himself to look at the girl.

"I'm the one who… who couldn't do anything to help you. None of this is your fault. I…I'm…" he burrowed his head into her shoulder as the words caught in his throat.

Before Ginny could even begin to protest, Voldemort's voice cut through.

"As fun as it is to watch you two cling to each other like limpets, the game isn't over yet. The wheel's right next to you, my dear. Why don't you give it a spin?"

If looks could kill, the Dark Lord would have been dead several times over, but alas, Ginny's glare didn't have that power and she was forced to comply with his order.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

Draco's heart momentarily stopped when he read his fate.

"Five minutes with Lucius," Voldemort smirked enjoying the blonde's obvious panic. "Unfortunately; however, due to your father's lack of decorum earlier, he will not be available to play with you tonight. So you'll have to spin again, Miss Weasley."

"N-No," Ginny shook her head.

"What did you say?" Voldemort questioned quietly, his eyes narrowing.

"I said 'no'," Ginny reiterated, her chin quivering but her voice steady. "It's not our fault that Lucius acted like he did and got himself kicked out of the game. So let's just skip over Draco's turn and move onto mine."

"Ginny! What are you—"

"We muck up the game if you're given two turns. That's not fair!"

"But that'll mean that you'll—"

"It's fine, Draco."

"But—"

"She has a point, my boy," the Dark Lord cut in smoothly. "It wouldn't be fair to Miss Weasley if you got another go. So let's move on, shall we? Your turn to spin, Draco."

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

… … … Tick.

… … … …Tick.

… … … … …Tick.

… … … … … …Tick.

"Five… Five minutes to escape," Draco breathed when the wheel finally stopped spinning, shock colouring his tone. His eyes met Ginny's for the first time since Ginny's last turn.

"Escape," Ginny repeated, her heart welling with hope as she ignored the boos from the audience of Death Eaters. "Escape."

"Well, it seems fortune is on your side, Miss Weasley, but let's see how far it extends," Voldemort suggested silkily. "Before you go, I'd like you to spin the wheel once more. That way we can keep Draco here entertained while you're busy running away."

Unease tainted the hope she was feeling but she had a plan. If she could spin the wheel with the right amount of force, maybe she could get it to spin one complete revolution so that it landed on the same segment and they could both have the chance to escape!

Bearing this in mind, Ginny carefully calculated how much force she thought she would need, before spinning the wheel.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick…

The wheel spun in a rainbow of colours

… … …Tick.

The black segment with _Five minutes to escape_ came closer.

… … … …Tick.

The black segment was so close Ginny could almost taste it.

… … … … … …Tick.

"Just one more! Just one more!" she chanted under her breath, her excitement rising.

… … … … … … … …Tick.

"YES!" she cheered as Draco blinked at the wheel in shock. "YES! YES! YES!"

… … … … … … … … … … … …Tick.

* * *

Silently, the herd of thestrals ghosted through the corridors of the manor. His wand gripped tightly in his hand, Harry's eyes continuously scoped the area for movement as he allowed Atlas to decide where they went. So far they had seen neither hide nor hair of anyone. Although this was a stroke of fortune for them, his gut told him that this did not bode well for Ginny and Draco.

* * *

"N-no! NO!" Ginny screamed as she stared up at the wheel in horror. "It was on the black! It landed on the black!"

She turned to Draco frantically and grabbed his shoulders.

"You saw it, didn't you? It was on the black! It was!" she cried, shaking him.

"You're right. It did land on the black," Voldemort cut in smoothly, a diabolical light in his eyes. "But only briefly," he continued happily. "It seems you used just a little bit too much force when you spun, my dear, and now young Draco gets to enjoy the fate that you chose for him"

With obvious relish, Voldemort pointed happily at the golden segment the wheel had stopped on.

"Five minutes to die."

As those words issued from the Dark Lord's mouth, a wave of resignation swept over Draco, prompting him to release a sigh and close his eyes. All throughout the game, Draco had been furiously trying to stave off the feeling of hopelessness that had been clawing at his heart. Of course he had been scared for his and Ginny's lives. Of course he had felt angry at the situation and at the people putting them through this torture. And of course, his survival instincts had kicked in making him want to escape at any cost. Such emotions; however, were hard to hold onto and draw strength from when he knew deep down that they had never had a chance.

He had grown up being told horror stories about what happened to people who betrayed or defied the Dark Lord. His father had made sure he learnt very early on that there would be no mercy given, no excuses accepted. As a result of this conditioning, it had been a constant struggle to maintain his composure, but he had had done his best for Ginny's sake. Despite the pain and anguish unleashed upon her, she had yet to lose that spark of hope and life in her eyes, and he admired her for that inner resolve and had tried to mimic it. His attempts had probably been feeble at best, but the fact that he had lasted this long without succumbing to despair was a feat he would never have thought himself capable of.

He was proud of himself; proud that he had defied both his upbringing and the Dark Lord, and proud that he had torn through his prejudice and befriended Ginny Weasley, for it was she that had given him the fortitude to endure this all with some shred of dignity.

His gratitude to her warmed his heart and shattered the icy numbness of resignation that had gripped him. If he was to die then he would make damn sure Ginny's escape was successful. She deserved to survive this.

An odd keening sound pulled him from his introspection as beside him, Ginny's legs collapsed beneath her.

"What have I done?" she whimpered, her hands tugging harshly at her hair. "What have I done!?"

"It's not your fault," Draco whispered to her as he knelt down in front of her. "None of this has ever been your fault, Ginny. Never ever blame yourself for any of this!"

"But I—"

"But nothing! You have been nothing but been strong throughout this ordeal and I want you to hold onto that strength for just a little bit longer. You have to escape, Ginny. You have to get away from here as fast as you can and not look back. Don't ever look back!"

"I can't! I can't leave you here! Draco! Draco!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

Draco pulled her tightly into his embrace as he continued to speak softly but clearly into her ear.

"You must, Ginny. You must promise me that you will get out of this alive. And that means leaving me behind. I may die, but I'll die knowing that you are alive and safe. Don't you see? You must live for my sake, Ginny. I want you to live and enjoy your life as much as possible for me. That way I can share in your joy even though I can't physically be with you. But I'll be with you inside your heart so you must promise to be happy for me. Please, Ginny. For me."

A small whine of heartbreak echoed around the room marking the moment when Ginny finally acquiesced to Draco's request.

"Thank you," Draco breathed against her shuddering shoulder. "Thank you."

"I think that more than enough time for goodbyes, don't you?" Voldemort broke in, using a silent summoning charm to pull Draco to him.

Ginny gasped at the abrupt loss of her friend's warm embrace.

"Your five minutes to escape starts now."

"Go, Ginny! Go now!" Draco yelled from his position next to the Dark Lord. "And remember, don't look back!"

A strangled sob broke free from her throat as Ginny pulled herself up and turned away, racing to the door as fast as her mangled foot would allow her. When she reached it she paused momentarily, keeping her back to the room's occupants.

"Goodbye," she whispered, her tone of voice tortured but resolved.

"Goodbye," Draco breathed in response, his voice equally piteous but unfaltering.

Without looking back, Ginny began to run through the labyrinth of passages in hopes of freedom, the screams of Draco Malfoy echoing hauntingly behind her.

* * *

The muffled thump-drag-thump-drag noise interspersed with the occasional wheezing sob was the first sign of life Harry heard since his entering the manor. His heart raced as he prepared himself for whatever lay ahead. With noiseless feet, Atlas and his herd of thestrals continued their silent race through the hallways easily locating the source of the disturbing sounds.

Veering down a corridor Harry hadn't noticed, they went up a flight of stairs then rounded a sharp corner.

The noises were louder now; bouncing off the walls it seemed to come from everywhere. It took barely a moment for Harry to spot the cause.

"Ginny!" he called, rushing off Atlas' back to catch the red head when she threw herself back against the wall, startled by his sudden appearance.

Around them the thestrals swarmed, creating a protective barricade in case any Death Eaters came.

"Harry? Harry! Harry!" she raved over and over, collapsing against him when he neared.

"Sweet Merlin, Ginny. What have they done to you?" Harry gasped, overcome by the state of her injuries. Her clothes were little more than bloodied rags, her complexion pale and her foot! But it was her eyes that made Harry's heart clench. Even though she was looking at him straight in the eye, her gaze was unseeing. It was as if she was both with him and elsewhere at the same time. To say that Harry was unnerved was an understatement.

"Don't worry about me," Ginny half-yelled, as if his question offended her. "Draco! You have to save Draco! They're going to kill him! They're… They're..!"

"It's okay, Ginny. I'll save him."

Whilst rubbing consoling circles on Ginny's back, Harry used his free hand to reach into his pocket and retrieved the portkeyed quill that Xenophilius had given him.

"Ginny, I want you to hold this quill and say 'treble' for me, okay? You're brother's already there waiting and he'll take care of you. Don't worry about Draco. I'll be along with him shortly."

With nerveless fingers, Ginny fumbled the quill out of his hand and into hers. Pulling back out of Harry's reach, Ginny took a deep breath.

"B-both of you come back safe, Harry. Please," she begged, hugging the quill to her.

"We will," Harry vowed.

With a stiff nod, Ginny muttered "treble" and vanished from sight.

"Let's go," Harry called to the thestrals as he pulled himself back onto Atlas' back. Once more they began to quickly navigate the seemingly endless maze of corridors.

All too soon another sound reached Harry's ears. Gritting his teeth, Harry did his best to maintain his focus even as the sheer agony lacing Draco's screams pierced his heart.

"At least he's still alive. It means he's still alive," Harry chanted to himself as his hands clenched so hard into fists that they turned white.

Finally they entered a passageway with an open door at its end. Through the doorway, Harry could see the huge room was packed with Death Eaters, all of them facing away from the door as they watched some sort of spectacle up front. Considering the pain-filled screams emanating from that part of the room, Harry easily surmised just what spectacle the Dark Lord's minions were viewing so attentively.

Pulling Atlas to a halt before they entered the room, Harry regarded the thestrals around him.

"You all know what to do," Harry began, not even bothering to keep his voice quiet as any noise they made was drowned out by Draco's voice.

"I'll blast a hole around the door so it'll be easier for you all to enter. Remember, we have to be quick for this to work. We go in, we get Draco and we get out again. Don't stray from the group no matter what. We all ready? Good. _Reducto_!"

A blast of red light left his wand and blew a large chunk out of the wall, significantly increasing the size of the doorway.

"Charge!" Harry yelled, his arm sweeping down in front of him to gesture them forward.

The Death Eaters who had noticed the disturbance at the back of the hall turned to look in curiosity, but before they could even react to the sight that met their eyes, they found themselves getting stampeded by a large herd of thestrals. The pained yells of the trampled; however, attracted the attention of the rest of the Death Eaters and spells began to fly. Fortunately, the Death Eaters were so closely packed together within the room that there was very little room to manoeuvre and so any spells that did get cast usually ended up hitting another Death Eater.

Using this confusion and unpreparedness to his advantage, Harry and Atlas led the herd through the crowd to the front of the room, allowing their natural forward momentum to carry them even as countless Death Eaters got crushed beneath their feet.

Voldemort's stupefied face when Harry and Atlas burst free from the masses was amusing to say the least, but one look at the twitching pile of robes and blood lying at the Dark Lord's feet was enough to stifle any sense of humour.

Knowing the thestrals wouldn't be able to stop or even slow their pace, Harry spared a moment to hope that Draco was unconscious before summoning him with a flick of his wand. Draco's yell of surprise and pain told Harry that he wasn't.

"Let's go!" Harry yelled to the thestrals as he caught Draco's battered body. Holding onto the boy securely with his left hand, Harry shot off another _Reducto_ at the nearest wall and he and Atlas led the charge out of the hall.

Despite the firm grip Harry maintained on Draco, the blood coating the blonde's skin made gripping difficult and it didn't help that Draco let loose a cry of pain each time his body was jolted.

Worried about how pale the Slytherin was, Harry dug around in his pocket until he found the coin that Xenophilius had turned into a portkey.

"Draco. Draco," Harry continued to call until he finally got the injured boy's attention. Several yells from behind him and a stray beam of red light that brushed over his head alerted Harry to the fact that the Death Eaters had begun to chase after them. Despite this realisation, he kept his attention fixed on his schoolmate's barely lucid eyes.

"This portkey will take you to where Ginny is," Harry explained as he carefully placed the coin into Draco's hand, wrapping the boy's unresisting fingers around it for him.

"Ginny's… safe?" Draco asked, a little bit of light returning to his eyes.

"Yes, and you will be too. Just say 'croquet'."

"And what… what about you?" Draco inquired as his head lolled back against Harry's shoulder.

"I'll be fine. I'll fly back with the thestrals and should be with you again in a couple of hours."

"P-Promise? Promise me you w-won't… let that monster get you…"

"You have my word," Harry replied. "Now go!"

"C-croquet."

In the blink of an eye, Harry's arms were empty once more.

Ducking low to avoid the stream of spells that were flying haphazardly through the air, Harry swung his head around to see how they were faring.

Although a lot of Death Eaters had been incapacitated (either momentarily or permanently) by the earlier stampede, there was still a large number of uninjured minions giving chase with Voldemort in the lead. The Dark Lord's face was a thunderous scowl as he chased after them, a continuous stream of different coloured spells bursting from his wand. Harry watched in horror turned fascination as the spells hit the retreating thestrals only to harmlessly dissipate upon contact. He resolved to ask Hagrid at a later date if a thestral's hide was spellproof or not.

His momentary lapse in concentration cost him; however, and Harry was forcefully reminded that although the thestrals were apparently impervious to Voldemort's spell, he was not. A long gash sliced into his left arm, catching him by surprise and almost unseating him.

"The Felix Felicis must be wearing off," Harry murmured as he prostrated himself against Atlas' neck so that he made a smaller target for the Death Eaters to aim at.

It was several more terrifying minutes of getting clipped by stray spells before they found an exit and Harry felt that it was safe to raise his head and look behind him.

As soon as their feet hit earth, each thestral would unfurl its wings with a snap and leap into the air, flapping furiously.

Through Atlas' heaving wings, Harry could see the snarling, angry faces of the Death Eaters beneath them as they futilely persisted in shooting off spells. It was too late though. There were far too many thestrals between Harry and the dark wizards for any of the spells to successfully get through and the ones that hit the thestrals just flickered out.

He saw a few Death Eaters try to pursue them on brooms, but as soon as they got too close to the herd, the nearest thestral would ram them back out of the air.

"We made it," Harry breathed to himself in disbelief. "We made it!"

Pumping his fist into the air, Harry let out a loud whoop of relief as he and the thestrals left the dark manor and its horrors far, far behind.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Harry, his enthusiastic fist pump had had an unexpected side effect. A single, black feather had been dislodged from his wings, and even as he continued to shout with joy, it fluttered away into the dark of the night. Whether it was due to the effects of the Felix Felicis wearing off or because it was ordained by fate itself, that lone feather was soon plucked from the air by a furious Voldemort.

At first, the Dark Lord ignored the feather, preferring instead to focus his attention towards the retreating figures of the thestrals and the bane of his existence. However, his attention was soon wrested away from their increasingly distant forms by the reaction his magic was having to the feather.

Ignoring the exclamations and questions of the Death Eaters surrounding him, he concentrated all his magic onto the feather, seeking to unravel its mysteries and discover why his core was responding so emphatically to the fragile object. He soon had his answer, and after pausing a moment or two to allow the full extent of this new knowledge to sink in, a primordial rage swept through his being, escaping the confines of his body in the form of a lingering, wrathful roar.

* * *

AN: So yes, another chapter (finally) done. You'll all be pleased to know that I've sat down and planned out the rest of the chapters for this story (if everything goes as planned, it should wind up to be about 40 chapters long). I've even got a little notebook filled with plans, drawings, class schedules, prank ideas, etc for Ends and Means. Haha.

This chapter's question: if you had a magic wand, what core, wood, etc would your wand be made out of?


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